All right, Billy Cunningham, the Great America, and welcome this Thursday afternoon in the tri States. We've had three nights of the reds athletically across the nation. Monday night, of course, Monday Night football in Denver didn't turn out real well, and Tuesday and Wednesday in Los Angeles did not turn out real well. But we always have hope because the Bengals are playing Sunday against the Lions right here, then
the Packers and the Steelers. If you're an optimist, three games from now, that Bengals will be in first place in the AFC North. If not, we'll have to pick up the pieces and worry about Xavier basketball. But until then, one of the themes happening in every urban area, but even here in Cincinnati, is that the criminal justice system does not provide criminal justice to the victims, many times
only to the defendants. And so the Hamilton County Jail has a few floors that are emptied out completely because judges are not putting shall we say, criminal defendants in prison. We have a police force that is demoralized because they rest individuals and before the paperwork has completed, that person's out in the streets mocking the police. We don't enforce laws in Hamletin County. So joining you now is you, and I now is Judge Josh Berkowitz. He's the administrative
and presiding judge currently of Hamilton County Municipal Court. Been there for about a decade. He knows everything about Hamilton County Municipal Court. And Judge Josh Burkle, which former prosecutor and former law director in the City of Norwood. Welcome to the Bill Cunningham Show. And first of all, judge can give us an overview about what is happening, good or bad about criminal justice in Hamilton County.
Well, thanks, Bill, it's great talking to you. Thanks for having me on what we're seeing here in Hamilton County. And like you said, these are national issues that are affecting cities around the country, and we didn't get here overnight.
This is kind of the product of really twenty years, ten to twenty years worth of bad progressive policies and idea is that kind of filtered through college sociology programs and law review articles, and you know now it's made its way to the bench and it's really kind of not just in the courthouse, but it's kind of dominated public discourse and captured justice systems in cities around the country,
kind of that ideological capture. And here in Hamilton County, that progressive mentality has you know, that's the prosecutor's office now, that's the Sheriff's department, that's the Common Pleas Court, that's the first District Court of Appeals, that's the Clerk of Courts all you know in that city Hall of course, that is responsible for setting policy for Cincinnati Police. So the entire justice system is dominated right now by this
progressive mentality, and the outcomes have been very predictable. I mean, it takes the form and in the movement away from to end cash bail for example, and more broadly to just reduce consequences, reduce penalties, whether in the form of sentencing or setting bond. There's this mentality.
That's evidenced, Like you said, I.
Mean, our jail right now is four hundred inmates below capacity, four hundred inmates below where it was pre COVID. Does anybody believe that crime is down by a third or twenty thirty percent from where it was in twenty nineteen.
It's absurd, And so what happening. Let me talk about my experience. I was very active in criminal justice, representing criminal defendants and also the AG's office on civil matters. And it was typical. The place where criminals and cops go every morning Monday through Saturday, nine am is Room May It used to be the Ons and Deputy Building.
Now it's room, a kind of.
Justice center, and it used to be two to three hundred were arrested the night before for traffic offenses, DUIs murder, burglary, drug sales, passing bat checks, whatever it was. And the police department in the city of Cincinnati was very active in making sure that if you had committed a crime, that you were held and you met a judge like you in the morning and based upon the bail bond score, based upon the criminal record, employment history, that bonds were set.
It was regular to have numerous inmates have bond set like a five thousand dollars on a felony No. Ten percent, and that person would be locked up waiting trial. Now the law schools have said to judges, not you, but other judges now in their thirties and forties, that that system is wrong, that is not fair to lock up someone say a Tony Bender, for example, who by the way, has a good record in his life. But nonetheless Tony Bender shows up and he commits a felony, it's common
then to be locked up. That doesn't happen anymore. Why isn't room A filled with two to three hundred And why do the judges other than you of course and Hambig missipal corpse not set a bond. They set a cash bond. What happened in the college is what happened in the law schools.
It's really bizarre. I mean, you know, what we've experienced and what they've argued over the last twenty years is that our justice system in the United States throughout the country and you heard this repeatedly, a really concerted public relations campaign that looked at our justice system in the United States, which is the envy of the entire world, and just trashed it that it's all it's systemically unfair,
it's bigoted, it's discriminatory. You know, they would have you believe that there's all these people crowded through our jails and prisons who did nothing other than you know, shoplift a candy bar or or smoke a joint of marijuana. I mean, it was never an accurate portrayal of the justice system. And you know, when I started ten years ago, the rule on setting bonds, which is one of our most important responsibilities in municipal court. We set bonds on
anybody who gets arrested felony's misdemeanors. And the rule traditionally was very straightforward, very common sense. The purpose of bond is to secure the defendants appearance at court and to protect the public. And so naturally, the more serious the charge, the greater the flight risk, the greater the threat to the public, the higher the bond is going to go. And you know, when I started again ten years ago,
there wasn't this dramatic disagreement. You know, there wasn't this divergence amongst political parties where you know, you had this
this dramatic shift in ideology. And that's what's happened over the last six, seven, eight years, where you saw these wave elections and and you saw political leaders really push that agenda that you know, progressive criminal under the under the heading of progressive criminal justice reform really really strong armed judges and legislators to change the law to encourage and in.
Fact require.
Lower bonds o R bonds, which means somebody gets released with no money paid, and the outcome has been it's been the same across the country. It's dangerous criminals out on the street, dangerous convicted felons out on the street in the community, breed to re offend and victimize new people.
Now and in the core of this, Judge Josh Burka, which is this that it's unfair that someone who doesn't have discernible assets needs to post anything no cash bond. According to the left wing the restorative justice crowd is unfair to somebody who commits crime and can have money to post a bond when someone with money. Not too many richer middle class people are committing crime. By the way, normally those who commit crime are at the bottom economic scale.
So the theory is, no cash bond can be racist, no cash bond can be a class warfare. So why treat someone who burglarizes a home and beat somebody up who doesn't have any discernible money. Why treat him differently than someone that's got a four oh one k, you know what I'm saying. So it used to be if you committed a fellow in your ham in the county.
You were locked up pending trial. Now, if you commit a fella in your hamle in the county, you're not locked up because it's not fair to make somebody with no money to post bail.
Is that the core of it.
There is certain that's absolutely right. There are certain people in our justice system, including unfortunately some judges, who seem to fundamentally believe that it's wrong that anybody should sit in jail because they can't post a bond. And it's entirely contrary to the text of the rule, its contrary to the tradition in Ohio and around the country. And this really culminated with this decision in twenty twenty one.
It was called Dubo's.
It was a very divided, very different Ohio Supreme Court that said that judges could not consider public safety when setting a bond amount, that the only consideration was the defendant's ability to pay, and the only way to determine that was to ask them. You had to take the defendant's word for it, and you couldn't consider public safety. And in response, the voters of Ohio spoke up really loud,
very clearly. Thanks to your friend Joe Dieters and now Justice Megan Shanahan took it to this took it on the road around the state of Ohio. Something like eighty percent of the voters in Ohio passed State Issue one in twenty twenty two that requires judges like myself specifically, specifically requires us to consider public safety when setting bond, specifically overruled that that activist Dubo's decision, and so you know that I think, in a lot of people's minds
should have put that to rest, but it hasn't. It's still very much an issue because like I tell you, we didn't get here overnight. It's not going to be resolved overnight. It's not going to be resolved even with one ballot initiative. You know, it requires people paying attention to the judges and how they're setting bonds and what
they're doing. And people have a right to be concerned because you know, at the heart of all these ideas, these progressive ideas, it was sold on people as this is not only more fair, it's not only more equitable, it's going to make our community safer. And no, you know, like like I said, Bill, does anybody believe that crime is down from twenty ninet team to the point that our jail has four hundred is four hundred below capacity.
Nobody buys that. Nobody's believing that. And yet our media and a lot of the mainstream media and a lot of our public officials are basically gaslighting people. Don't believe your lion eyes. Look at these look at these stats that that we've presented. See arrests are down, and don't know, we don't have a crime problem. I mean, that's really the message, and it's outrageous.
Judge Berkowitz. It begins with a simple arrest. And when I have on Ken Kober and the cops, they tell me that the mayor's office is Scottie Johnson and the Lemon Currenty tell them don't pull somebody over for a minor traffic violation. If you pull somebody over, that opens up at Pandora's box of give me your license, your registration, proof of insurance.
Well I don't have that.
And then you find out they have warns out for their arrest. Then you had to get the tow truck to get them there. Then they're locked up. And so it begins with the fact that police believe in Cincinnati that you don't pull somebody over for a traffic violation. And if someone's open air smoking pot, let them alone. Homelessness is pursuing to a corridorder illegal, leave them alone, intervene as drug use is permissible, and camping out in
front of Saint Francis, Sarah is okay, et cetera. Doesn't it begin at the front end when cops are told, don't do your job. I don't think there's any question right now that the leadership at city Hall has actively discouraged proactive law enforcement. They do not want officers proactively enforcing the law. Whether you're talking about traffic infractions, or you're talking about you know, going after gun illegal guns, or you're going after drugs, or you're going after violent offenders.
They do not want officers proactively going out and look into to interdict and interrupt those criminal behaviors.
They want officers reacting and responding to calls for assistance. And Cincinnati police officers, in my experience, are outstanding at responding to calls for assistance.
But we know every look.
Everybody knows if you want to actually get at crime and reduce crime and get at the violent offenders, you need officers, not just numbers, but you need officers who are empowered to proactively go out and enforce the law. And like I said, I don't think there's any debate on this point. It's a matter of ideology. They don't, like you said, they don't believe that officers should be going out there proactively enforcing minor traffic infractions, you know,
minor misdemeanor offenses of any kind. They don't want them going out there and enforcing the law.
Judge Burkowitz's evidence of that about it three weeks ago. You're in the Ivory Tower of judging. But I'm in the practical business of politics. We had the governor, the FBI was here, big news conference in and around City Hall. Mike DeWine was there, FBI was there, the ATF was there, US Marshal Service was there. Only one council member was there. And they supposedly had this memory and of understanding that two days a month that the Highway Patrol would assist
Cincinnati Police and all kinds of criminal protection activities. And it came out about two weeks after the incident that instead of being here physically, Highway Patrol would be here two shifts a month, and as of now they're unseen on city streets because the Vice mayor and others and the mayor and share along the city manager have not requested them to come in pursuing to the understanding they don't want law enforcement in Cincinnati other than city politics
law enforcement. So we had this big, big punch and judy show of everyone showing up saying, Okay, we're cracking down on crime.
But there was no follow through because politics, it wasn't wanted.
And at this point, the next time you're in room may setting bonds that there are not going to be criminal defendants in front of you to set bonds on because they're not getting arrested. And we live in a crime ridden society in which shots are fired twenty thousand shots, we're going to four hundred people wound it. We have massive break ins. Since Uce just had a big symposium about female students that are being assaulted, their cars being
broken into. They don't bother calling the police anymore because nothing happens. And so when law enforcement is told to stand down, when half or more of the judges believe in the restorative justice and no cash bonds and the jail is unoccupied by inmates. Some four hundred beds are available. When about ten years ago, Sileas came on with me when he was the sheriff, maybe twelve years ago, wanting to build another jail because the jail was packed fifteen
years ago with criminals. Now they're roaming around the streets committing crime, and so it's all a and voters can change this. Talk about well, we voters who live in Hamlet Accounty can change this by the vote. But many voters don't know what's happening downtown. That's why you're coming on today. Educate the public.
Correct one hundred percent.
So I mean, I think we have a great system in Ohio where the voters get to select who their judges are. You know, the voters. That's the accountability. That's the accountability that followed State Issue one in twenty twenty two. You know what's an appropriate bond, Well, the voters get to say what kind of justice system. Every judge in
Ohio has to stand for election. You know this fall, I'm standing for re election, and you know, I'm proud of my record as a judge over ten years and prior to that as a prosecutor under Joe Dieters, and you know, I've been consistent on these issues.
It's not the victim's fault.
It's not the system's fault when somebody gets locked up for committing a violent crime. And for too long, that attitude has you know, percolated throughout the justice system and led to these absurd outcomes. And that's just you know, you mentioned that press conference in the highway patrol here for two days a month.
What a joke.
You know, that is the epitome of what Sarah Haringer referred to as optics over outcome, a big, grand press conference. Does anybody believe that two days a month of having some highway patrol officers in Cincinnati is going to make any meaningful impact, no terminal ju justice. Nobody believes that.
In fact, Judge, the two days didn't happen.
Anyway, there are no two days and not been here yet with Judge Josh Burkoh, it's we got to run. You're sounding the alarm. It's up to the electorate to do what's responsible. Judge burko Witch, once again, thanks for coming on the Bill Cunningham Show and let's keep the lines of communication open. Thank you, Thank you very much Judge, thank.
You, Hey, hey, Bill, thank you for having me. If I could real quick, if people want to get involved, I mean, that's what it takes. They can go to keep Judge Berkowitz dot com. You know these are your opportunity to voice what you want out of your justice system and you can make a difference. We're going to send a message this fall that public that people across
Hamilton County want safe communities and safe neighborhoods. They're not satisfied with this business as it's been at the courthouse for the last ten years.
Judge, thank you very much. We'll do it again. God bless you and thank you very much. Thanks Bill, continue with more. There's a guy that knows what he's talking about. It's up to you as a voter to change.
Bill Cunningham, News Radio seven hundred Wildom All right, Billy Cunningham, the great American. This great Thursday afternoon in the tri State of This is global warming. I love it, and we have more of it, and the weather's perfect. You might have a little ran on Tuesday Wednesday, see what happens down the road. Coming up after two o'clock today will be Brandon Sajo. He spent time here as one of my producers briefly and got into local television sports.
And Brandon sajo spent quite a bit of time at Channel five with Shari Paololo and George Vogel at the time, and he became shall we say, depressed, He became an alcoholic, he became very suicidal. He related on an LA interview about a month ago that he spent time at Channel five and then he would walk across the river to his apartment in northern Kentucky and many times he'd stop in the middle of the suspension bridge and think about jumping, and thank god he made a telephone called at George
Vogel Channel five. Is great to retired sportscaster who met him at his home at about two am and talked him literally off the bridge. And Brandon Sajos now turn his life around and now he's speaking on college campuses about the difficulties of depression, mental illness, things of that character. So that's at two o'clock today. Don't want to miss that. Also later on after one o'clock with Erica Sanzi will be here.
In the meantime.
The nation, I get many texts from my friends around the country had a dose of the Bengals, the Reds, and the Reds Monday Night Football Bengals, Tuesday Wednesday Reds in LA and shall we say the nation doesn't want to see much more of the Bengals and Reds because the games are non competitive. I know my friend and yours at the inquire Williams has a column up about what the Castellinies have to do and must do in order to be more competitive. Number one I related on
X that I thought the Reds were great overachievers. I mean, how many teams make the playoffs that don't have one regular player hitting two seventy and no regular player has more than twenty two home runs, no pitcher has a one hundred and seventy strikeouts doesn't happen. And basically, this was a team of middling players who performed above expectations for one reason or another. And none of the starting pitchers had fifteen wins, so, in other words, they couldn't hit,
couldn't hit regularly, couldn't hit for power. The pitching starting pitching didn't have many strikeouts and didn't have a win. The number one pitcher, I think Singer had fourteen victories So as a consequence, when you have a playoff team with those deficiencies, especially playing in a ballpark like the Great American, you got to go get some players that can knock the ball out of the Ballpoller Ballpark, like the Panda Bear or others whoever it might be, to
come and help the ball club. Now, whether that happens or not, I don't know. They drew two million strong. And by the way, the owners are getting ready after next year for the strike slash lockout. They firmly believe. The owners firmly believe they have to have a salary cap, which they have one more or less in baseball now, and all you do is pay a fine and then you don't have a salary cap. So, for example, the Dodgers have a payroll about three hundred and sixty million.
The Reds are about one hundred and fifteen million. They have three times the payroll, and they pay. They pay a tax of about one hundred and twenty five million dollars. So the cost of the Dodgers of the team is three sixty to the players about one hundred and forty thousand in the luxury tax. So the Dodgers have an extra five hundred million dollars to pay the players directly and indirectly. And the Red Legs have a team of
one hundred and fifteen million. And this is going to be more and more a big league town, a big league effort. Big cities and small markets are in trouble. But then I talked to Moeger who tells me about Milwaukee. All right, Milwaukee is a payroll similar to Cincinnati. Let's
see how they do. So we'll see what happens. But there's fear intrepidation in the land that after next season the sport's going to go on hiatus for a while because of the difficulties of small market teams competing, which it appears at least one small market team is competing quite well.
Thank you.
He got Chicago, Philadelphia in LA. But you also have the Cubs, a large market team, and also Milwaukee's still out it. We'll see what happens down the road. Judge Berkowitz had a profile encourage to come out and speak.
He's on the bench.
He's the administrative and presiding judge of Hamley County Municipal Court and Judge Berkowitz has been there for ten years and he was at the beginning of the sliding toward restorative justice ten years ago, but now has completely metastasized. For example, Holly, who I texted with this morning, a woman had the crap beat out of her on July the twenty sixth, and her case is going to take
months to resolve. But nonetheless, she points out that the streets of Cincinnati are not safe and they're not good. I've had former council members and former mayors tell me they would not walk around downtown Cincinnati after dark. I have many video given to me by Signal ninety nine and elsewhere of numerents dozens of shots fired in and around the banks on a regular basis, and that open
air drug use is available. Homelessness is ubiquitous, and people are smoking pot which is illegal, walking around, and we have a tremendous mental health problem. And the resolution to that is when someone commits a crime. It used to be if you committed a felony in hamlet A County, you were locked up pending trial. But about fifteen twenty years ago, the law school said that's not fair. It's not fair to have someone who doesn't have money treated
differently to someone that does well. The great majority of people have a lot of money, by the way, don't commit crime anyway, And it used to be well, they can't make bonds, so what the heck, it's all good time. By that, I mean by the time you get convicted and sentenced, you get time, and you get credit for the time you served to awaiting trial. Anyway, the whole criminal justice system and the major cities have been turned upside down.
And Cincinnati we're no different.
We're about ten years behind, but we're going to get there on the course we're on, unless you, as a voter, change direction and say, you know, restorative justice and no bail for serious felonies is a problem. There were seven people arrested on the July twenty six feet down after the music festival, and all but two are now free on bail awaiting trial. And then in front of half the judges in Hamlinty County, you can commit serious crime and nothing happens.
Anyway.
They have this idea that there's too many people locked up. They don't want to lock up people in prison. That's why there are floors of the Hamlet County Justice Center that are empty right now because there's hardly anyone awaiting trial on a bond. The idea of at least half the judges is no cash bond, simply get out, sign your name, and you're gone. Burglarized, drug deals, manslaughters, reckless operation DUIs, whatever it might be, burglary, just sign your
name and get out. That's the idea of the last ten years of the judges. Well, Judge Berkowitz is not one of them. He's got his finger in the dike, along with a few others like Judge tink a Locker. And this should not be political. With a small p many years, the Democratic judges in Haminy County were not much different than the Republican judges.
You want to keep the community safe. So if you were Judge Maurice Neehouse or Judge Richard Kneehouse.
Or Judge feller Off or Judge Black or Judge West or Judge Melburn Marsh who has another year or two to go, they're all Democrats except Melba. I love her dearly. She's a Republican, but she's an African American. I knew her mother, Martha quite well. The idea is, if you're arrested and there's probable cause.
To believe you committed a very serious offense, you're going to be locked up pending trial. That doesn't happen anymore.
It used to be, Okay, you did something serious, so you're going to spend three months in the Hamlin County jail. Find out what jail is like. And then after that you're on probation. And if you commit another crime on probation, guess what, you're going up north, You're going to the PENITENTI None of that happens anymore either, because you can
violate probation. The judges, not Judge Berkowitz, but the other judges, Wendy Cross, etc. Took this satellite probation offices and brought them all downtown to make it a pain in the neck for those on probation actually report. And so every step is taken to make the victims of crime less noted for for the injuries inflicted upon them. Every event is on behalf of the defendant, and most of it, a lot of it is based in so called racial politics.
It wasn't racial politics for Judge Black, or for Judge Melbourne Marsh or Judge West. No, it simply was this person very likely committed a serious offense and they're going to pay for it. Today, this person committed a serious offense and they're not going to pay for it. That's the attitude and has changed completely. The Democratic judges fifteen to twenty years ago weren't much different than the Republican judges.
Right.
In fact, there was Republican judges like Judge Gilbert Bettman, Republican who was more liberal than some of the Democratic judges.
It was simply to protect the community. That doesn't happen anymore.
And at the core of it is, of course, restorative justice, reparations and race. By that, I mean if you look at the faces of those who commit most of these serious offenses in the city of Cincinnati, it's a young male blackface. And so the judges haven't gone through the colleges, the universities, the law schools, haven't been public defenders have been part of liberal interest advocacy groups do not look upon necessarily the crime committed, but the race of the
person who committed it. So you want to pull your punch because that's about restorative justice or reparations. While the victims of those young black males tend to be overwhelmingly other young black males, and the mothers of the victims who are killed. They want justice for their loved one. So you see, and Xavier will hold symposiums on what to do if you're victimized by crime on campus. Thousands of crimes take place every year on the UC campus
that are not reported to the police. Why well, the main reason is because the police don't respond. Why don't they respond? City Hall does not want the Cincinnati police to be proactive in what they're doing. They want them to be reactive and stand down. Don't pull cars over. See somebody smoking pot, leave alone, See someone homeless using needles,
leave malone. See someone committing other minor offenses, don't find out what it is, because if you go hands on with somebody, you might have the Irish Rolli types breathing down your neck.
You might be sued.
And secondly, you're going to find out that have other warrants for their arrest. And we don't want to go down that route. So the mayor, the Vice mayor who is Victoria Parks, the President po Temp pro tem Scottie Johnson, lemon Kearney. They have a view of law enforcement that says, if you commit a serious crime and there's probable cause believe that you did it. You deserve to be out on bond. Get them out and don't pull over misdemeanor
lawbreakers to find out you got more serious issues. And we're going to find out in November, what's only about five weeks away, how serious people are in Cincinnati and Hemlet County about criminal justice. The block community is more inflicted with crime than any other community. And that is the block community is very likely to keep voting for the politicians and the judges who have a soft on crime approach for reasons unclear to me, and I hope
it changes. If it doesn't change, Cincinnati, which is about ten years behind other major cities, are going to go down the tubes, just like downtown Dayton, just like Columbus, just like Cleveland or Memphis, whatever it might be. We're going to be similar. When Victoria Parks, the President pro tema city council can say that Holly beg to be beaten.
And when you have this show with the governor standing in with the FBI, the atf US Marshal Service, Prosecutor's office and everyone talking about, okay, the adults are coming in now. The Highway of Patrol is going to be here. That was all a farce. It came out to two shifts a month, which has turned to zero. It doesn't work. It's all about smoking mirrors. So it'll be up to you in about five weeks what direction you went to city in the county to go become informed, know what's
going on. If you like the course of crime and debaucherous misbehavior in the city of Cincinnati, just vote for Democrats. They promised more of the same. In fact, they don't think there's a problem. Well, Sarah Herringer knows there's a problem. Holly knows there's a problem, and the mothers of all these dead kids know that there's a problem, and you got to change. If you don't change, you're going to
get more of the same. And then judges like Josh Berklewitch will simply at some point age out and they'll be replaced by a restorative justice person who thinks that anyone locked up on a crime previous to convict is a problem. You know, no one is actually guilty until trial or until they plead there's probable cause to believe they committed the offense. But no cash bonds means that criminals aren't running the streets. We have about five hundred
to one thousand total criminals. The great majority of black, young black kids have nothing to do with crime. But the face of crime is a young black male face. So we address the one thousand that are acting up committing crimes against their own community, then the other twenty five to thirty thousand black kids can get on with their life that wouldn't commit any crime any more than I would commit a crime. It's a small distinct number
in the black community, protected by liberal Democrats. In fact, there's so protected that the Vice mayor lemon Kearney will pay armed robbers one thousand dollars a month to not commit more armed robberies. You're paid not to commit crime. It's called the h It's a program it's council voted for to reduce gun violence, and that they pay you not to commit armed robberies. I give you travel vouchers and job trainings and therapy and more, not prison. You'll
be paid not to give it more crimes. That city Council's approach. Let's continue. After two o'clock today we'll be Brandon Sajo. After one o'clock will be Erica Sanzi and so much more twelve fifty five, Home of Your Reds Getting Ready for Spring Training twenty twenty six on News Radio seven hundred WULW. Bill Cunningham, the great American. Of course, if you've listened to me in the past several years,
certainly public education is a complete turmoil. Although I'm very familiar with happening in Cincinnati public schools, the same is true in Chicago or Austin, or Sacramento or New York. I could not imagine being in Atlanta public school where that its education must be. Like I've referenced before that many of these kids come out as marching Marxist. The average twelfth grader in Chicago reads about the eighth grade level.
It's in doctrination, not education, and it's getting worse. It's not getting better.
Jona, and you and I.
I is doctor eric Osanzi. She's a public relations director with defunding, defending education, et cetera, and defunding education as it is today. And Erica, welcome, I think for the first time to the Bill Cunningham Show. Before we get into your article at OutKick, which I think was fabulous, can you kind of tell us what's happening with doctor Ian Roberts, the superintendent des Moines, which is illustrative of a larger problem.
Yeah. I mean, this is one of those stories that you actually feel like it's like made for a move to be made into a movie. Every time I check the news, another shoe has dropped related to this guy. But essentially, you know, the Des Moines Public Schools that has, you know, thirty five thousand students hired this man, doctor Ian Roberts, to become their superintendent. His salary plus benefit fits all in per year with three hundred and five thousand dollars. And it turns out that he appears to
just be kind of like a con man. So he was arrested the end of last week by Ice or detained I think the word right, detained by ice because there was an active deportation order out for him which was issued under the Biben administration in May of twenty twenty four. When he was pursued by the Ice agents, he abandoned his car and took off in like some sort of like woods or like I think they said it was like a brushy area, left a loaded gun in his car, three thousand dollars in cash, so that's
already like a pretty big story. But it turns out that he also had lied about his credentials, had lied about getting a doctorate from Morgan State, which he never did. So he was going by doctor back when he was working in the DC Public School in twenty twelve, but he didn't actually get his or his doctorate until twenty twenty one. And I think it was kind of from
one of those like online diploma mill type places. He misrepresented being a citizen on his I nine and he also left behind he worked at school in Pennsylvania and left in his way four hundred and five thousand dollars in legal settlement costs for the district, all directly related to him. And I mean, I mean, I don't you never want to relish in a story, but it really
does like it just it's it's insane. And then when you see what his ideology was, when you see what the policies were in des Moines under him, it just all makes sense.
He was a classic Dei hire. He fit the formula of the Liberals of des Pine Board of Education. And I suppose one of the women, one of the ladies that hired him, is now running for the Senate and Iowa to take the place of Jody Urns next year.
And I'm describe that, explain that one.
It's even worse than that. So, first of all, I hate to say this because this does make me sound sexist, and that's fine. This is an all female school board, and I do think that's relevant because of the way that empathy is much more easily weaponized with women. Number Two, the ch the board chair. This woman who is the chair of the board was in the past Michelle Obama's chief of staff perfect and she's now running for a
US Senate. And the funniest thing is she made a video a few days ago saying I've been so busy with my volunteer job as a school board chair this past week that i haven't had time to can't work on my campaign, so please donate money. So she's literally she's fundraising off a massive failure, which I don't know that just kind of that takes a lot of I don't know what to think that people are going to want to give you money because.
You are now like a.
Nationwide spectacle because of your Either two things, one of two things happened.
Either this was.
Ideology that had taken over and had you know, blinded them to reality or this is completing competence.
Well, doctor Ian Roberts is not a doctor. I'm watching one of the UH immigration lawyers representing the Trump administration who says, thirty years ago he was involved in drug dealing. He was picked up illegally. He's from the nation of Guyana in South America. Every part of his life is fake. And now the Moine Board of Education is saying, well, we hired this other company to do the proper investigation.
All it takes is a computer.
And Google to find out this guy doesn't does not have a life at all other than as a trickster and a hoaster. And when it was when the gig was up, he ran in a car, parked the car illegally in a field, ran to hide behind some bushes and trees with a gun illegally, a knife illegally, and with three thousand dollars in cash. And this is the person the Liberal Democrats in Des Moines, Iowa wanted to
lead thirty thousand kids in the public school system. I can imagine the results of the testing in that school district with this guy in charge and one of the scoreboard members wiped away tears as she spoke in Spanish during the Tuesday night acceptance of his resignation. And the students, how about this one, Ericasonzi, how about this one? There were about fifteen or twenty students who walked out Wednesday
or Wednesday morning in protest. They were unhappy they lost their good looking superintendent who fed all the DEI principles. How about the students themselves saying we want him back?
Well again, this is another thing with that weaponization of empathy right where you convince these kids that in order to be a good person they have to stand up for this guy. Now, I've worked in enough schools to know most students don't know who they're superintendent. It is even so if there was an overwhelming awareness of this guy by students, that's also kind of strange. So the fact that they would be and again you're going to see these the parents who are protesting again why because
it's about these identity boxes. For them, he doesn't matter what he did wrong. We've seen this so many times over the past few years, that people will make excuses and lower the bar if people's check off certain identity boxes. And that's clearly what happened here, because it's all indefensible
no matter who he is. But again, but for some of these people for whom this ideology has sort of, like ye, broken their brains, they they're still kind of clinging to the idea that he was the right guy for the job.
Liberal females were encaptured with the way he appeared, had the right had the right kind of hair, representation, always looked great, represented very well.
It was all a fake and a front.
Before we talk about your column, which I think is fabulous at OutKick, I want to talk briefly about Chicago, and I'm reading a headline Chicago Teachers Union Moren's death a convicted seventies cop killer and revolutionary, and this got small strift in the mainstream media. But back in the nineteen seventies, there was a woman who took the name of Asada Shakur, literally convicted of killing a police officer. His name was State Trooper New Jersey Warner Forster. And
she was convicted in nineteen seventy seven. No question she did it. She was convicted, And somehow I must have missed this one. Her band of renegades and revolutionaries broke her out of a female state prison in New Jersey, and she made her way to Cuba. And so for the last time, almost fifty years, she's been living in Cuba, and every president has tried to get her back because he convicted, no questions, she killed a cop as a
revolutionary act. Well, she died about a week ago, and the Chicago Teachers' Union mourns the death of convicted seventies cop killer and revolutionary Asada Shakur. These are the teachers in Chicago. This is a cop killer in Cuba. They said, rest in power, rest in peace. Today we honor the life and legacy of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a revered elder, a black liberation and a leader of freedom whose spirit continues to live in our struggle.
A saughta refused to be silence. She taught us so much. So I'm reading this.
So last week Chicago teachers honored a cop killer as a revolutionary.
Why isn't that a bigger deal?
So I saw a lot about this, but probably because I was on X a lot, and I would say too, again, it is important for listeners to know that the union.
Leadership is very radical.
Yeah, and the rank and file are much less so, though the rank and file often are unaware of what their leadership is doing and saying.
So but yeah, no, Well, we get to remember.
This is the same teachers union who also said that anyone who wanted schools to reopen during the pandemic was a racist and a misogynist, which actually and a white supremacist I believe. So this this is one of the craziest,
most unhinged teachers' unions in the country. I am not surprised that they came out and said that because that is who they are, and they it literally makes me think of like it like if we were going to like ads a to be like wanting to honor Timothy McVay, just something where you know, she in addition to killing being a cop killer, I believe she was also a bank robber.
Correct.
And the mayor of Chicago was asked about this now, and he is also a total black job who used to run this name this he used to run this union.
To give you a sense, I mean, it's just like he's.
Like a radical revolutionary type and uh, he didn't condemn what.
The union said.
He basically said that she what's the word I'm looking for here. She proclaimed her innocence throughout, and he said that, you know, when she was convicted, you couldn't get a fair trial in this country if you were a person of color. He said, so basically, he defended the union by saying she's probably innocent because you couldn't get a fair trial back then.
He's a victim, and so her revolutionary band broke her out.
Uh.
The reason I asked you on today is your is your column and OutKick headline is teachers who delight in murder and assassinations are unfit for the job. You go on to write, millions of kids in this country love Charlie Kirk saw him executed on livestream. You go on to say that and that there's a question of fitness for the job. And you have some of the quotes of teachers and others. Quote another Nazi dead, rest in Urine,
Charlie Kirk. You also the teachers have said, I've watched the video over and over like fifty times, love every fraction of a second of it. It gets better with every watch. That's from a teacher. Quote, Yes I'm celebrating, Yes I hope he rots Another one far right buttholes have a target on their backs. One down, millions to go. So these are teachers in the classroom celebrating and cold blood the murder of Charlie Kirk. Explain that one to me.
So these are all quotations that I pulled from social media platforms. So these were k through twelve teachers who took to public platforms to celebrate this assassination. They were not said in the classroom, they but they were put out on a public platform in the immediate aftermass of that murder. And again, like as I'm wearing my former teacher hat and my parent hat, this is a question
of fitness. You're not fit for the role of to be educating other people's children in a compulsory education system if this is the way that you behave publicly for political assassination. And to me, it doesn't matter who it doesn't matter who is who gets killed. This behavior of this behavior of delighting and murder is something that maybe if my cashier at Wendy's, or my Amazon driver or my mechanic, you know, if they do that and I
know about it, I can take my business elsewhere. But that to me is totally different than the adults who have custodial care of other people's children. And again I have to say, like, this is a compulsory education system, and we don't let parents choose. They have to send their kids to a school that they're residentially assigned to
unless they have the means to make other arrangements. So to say that kids are being forced back into classrooms with adults who celebrated the murder of somebody that many of these kids didn't just look up to and admire, but he was like a daily part of their sort of social media diet, and they saw him snuffed out in an instant. And then they have to listen to the teacher, you know, or they at least have to know that their teacher thinks that's great.
And doctor Sanzi, I'm glad you had that delineating. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I think you're mixing me up with doctor Ian Roberts.
That's it.
Erica Sanse of Defending Education and the columns and OutKick, I want to say this, I'm against cancel culture that we all have rights of freedom of expression, freedom of speech. I draw the line if I'm ordering a meal at a restaurant, if someone of postal workers. Someone like that
have doing ministerial functions of one type or another. You know, I'm saying, Okay, I can, but I don't want somebody in charge of my health like that anesthesiologist from Miami, Florida who went on another a woman by the way, who talked about how happy she was that Charlie Kirk is murdered. I don't want a college professor. I don't want someone who's at teaching my kids in school with these with this value system, some of the other cuts that you have about teachers.
Quote.
I can't believe people are actually mourning this. I can't use the word quote. Hearing that Charlie Kirk got shot and died really brightened up my day. Another one said I'm glad he's dead. Another one out of social media said, what a piece of garbage. This is what happens. He met his maker. But let's be very clear that maker is not in heaven. Charlie Kirk is not in heaven. He's in hell right now. That's from teachers on social media.
So explain again to the American people why this is not cancel culture.
This is not cancel culture, because this is a question fitness, for the job, and we as parents delegate the authority to schools to serve in local parentes during the school day. That means that these are people that are tasked with educating other people's children. To me, behaving that way is a sign that your moral compass is completely broken. And if that broken moral compass is gonna you can't force me to make my kids spend their time with somebody
look like that, because there's two reasons. One delighting and murder. And by the way, a political assassination of somebody in the midst of a debate on a college campus that clearly is just qualifying, but so is the lack of judgment. It takes two. Again. They didn't whisper this to their spouse, they didn't like say this when they were out to dinner with their friends. They put it on a public
platform for the world to see. So that tells me that they just they lack any judgment or all judgment required to be in that kind of a position with other people's children. Because right now, like there are kind of trapped half. I mean, when you look at middle school and high school kids, especially boys, Charlie Kirk was, they probably saw him on their phones every single day.
Many of them admired him, looked up to him, thought he was relatable, thought he was able to say things if they wish they could say, but they're afraid to say. Liked his politics, so they liked him. Other people, it wasn't politics. He was kind of a faith leader for them, so they looked up to him for that reason. For some kids, it was just finally a regular guy that just like speaks the truth, whatever it was. They saw
his life extinguished right before their eyes. When we talk about kid not having boys don't have role models, Boys don't have role models, we literally watched one of them be murdered in front of their eyes, and then their teacher goes out and says that that's a good thing. I mean, couldn't the kid wonder? The kid wondered, I wonder if my teacher would be excited if I was killed.
We have to run.
But Erica Sonsey, defending education the columns and OutKick you end up by saying parents should never be expected to send their children back into a classroom with teachers whose moral compass is so broken as they applaud the murder of an innocent man. Once again, Erica Sonsey, it's been great. Thanks for coming on and keep informing the American people about what's happening in the classrooms.
And it's quite sad. Erica, thank you very much for having me. God bless you. Let's continue. Let's continue. Bill Cunningham seven hundred WLW.
Slaying and he muscles one the bets, he comes in, makes the cat and that's all.
Reds fall eight.
To four the Dodgers, and the Red season comes to a close in Game two of the National League Wild Guard Series.
You better send those refunds. Hell, hello, bye, I'm broadcasting.
That was the young Joe Burrow after they beat the Chiefs about to get those refunds.
Is he going to go to the game next, Wendy, He might be playing. I don't know, but even that way, have that issue.
Well, if Scott Sloan could do what he's doing now, Joe Burrow could be out there Sunday against the Lions. Was back within three weeks? Wasn't he have the ten and eight surgery? Get him back? Seg I read this story.
Issue hated his toes. Did you know that he's a pain somewhere else? But that's a different issue. Good to have Sloany back. Yes, according to this one column in the Athletic Huh, the Reds in history have made more records. According to this con columnist, no team in baseball histories made the postseason without having a pitcher that won fifteen games and had a pitcher any pitcher with one hundred and seventy strikeouts.
None there.
The Singer got close at fourteen correct got close and hitting? Yeah, the regular starters for the Reds, none of them have a two to seventy batting average more than twenty two home runs. Now you put that together. Don't have pitching, don't have hitting, don't have power. How did the Reds do what they did?
I guess by guts, gyles, guiles, luck and things just falling their way in many of the games, I guess. Can I give you an idea that you'll reject out of hand?
You mean, in last night's game? Trade Honor Green? What the Reds have him through twenty twenty nine at a low number? Whoa watching him the last seple years? Don't they have number forty four at that same time?
I think? So what if those two go or they will? Yeah? You know, but if you trade him now? For if that's if they play after twenty six, they.
May not play it in twenty seven rights, But at this point, Hunter is Hunter Green, the second coming of Jose Riho.
Jose blame it on ReHO. No, and he didn't go to Steidberg's. The fact of the matter is, I know that's Harris, but I say trade Lodolo and trade I think you're gonna see some interesting moves.
I know.
The Cowboy made a comment last night during I guess during the game after said that there's gonna be some big probably some big changes made, which I mean, they're gonna have to pony up. They're gonna have to pony up and get a power hitter. That's all you got to do. You're not going to get Swarbur. He's going to stand on. Let's go get it.
They get him, They get him, bring him here, get them both here. There's a there's a how many home runs wild they hit in my ballpark? The Great American You mean Pete Pee Alonso?
Yeah? Many? How about Swarmber? How many would he hit? Oh a hundred? He would he would uh he he would redecorate the left field area of Great American ballpark' he hit him off a Heritage Bank center with half the games in a band. You know that he might power might even hit him to the river, which means Pitzerland, Kayaks, Mississippi, No, the high O River. They may be people in kayaks getting the ball like they are in Oracle Park in
San Francisco. They think outside the box? Why not? Well, I mean Adam Dunn hit one without the river boat there and it ended up what like like No, it ended up like what about a foot and by the river because it got stopped by a piece of driftwood. Get on the public landing and get alonzo. Does that make sense?
Well, then you're gonna and then you well, you're gonna play with two guys. They might charge a lot of money. Is that what you're saying?
Both are unrestricted free agents? What does that mean? As long?
And I tell you one thing. If these guys walk on in twenty seven, that is it. If there's a striking twenty song with the.
Dough they're making. Now, the people you know what that's see?
You wouldn't would be will he The stood reporters of Proud Service, every local Thamestar heating and air conditioning dealers thamestar quality you could feel in northern Kentucky.
Call any weather heating at air at eight five nine seventy eight one forty eight twenty two. Do you have hot? Do you have hope? Always? Like the Shawshank redemption? Will you want to thank Ron's Roost? Oh lack doesn't? He didn't know. Let's see Ron's Roost Restaurant and bar. The world's greatest fried chicken. Now Ron Junior bringing down our lunch today. I call him the Harry of the Empire.
He's like Harry with Megan Markle sixty five years. They got the buffet Friday and Saturday thirty eight to fifty three Race Road at five seven four two two two. It's clucking good for got Ron's route.
Seventeen dollars and ninety five cents for a buffet, which is unbelievable, And he has got to raise prices. What I get every week, you can't beat it with a stick. You can nut, salad, fruit, everything, chicken. Yeah, got sausage and sour kraut, mashed potates and gravy and worn Are you kidding me? For seventeen dollars and ninety five cents? Not bad when I was there on Saturday, had to wait forty five minutes for a table, and you were taking up a whole section.
No, were I just walk in now?
Really yeah, I didn't know that we get there early enough at four o'clock, I should say, I know, Olga, Well, you had one more time at Red's updated Yoshi Yadamoto had nine strikeouts and seven innings and the Dodgers breaking open last night eight to four.
The season is over. A key moment was in the Red sixth trailing three to two, first three reach, then Yammoto, Yes, wiggles out of it, wiggles Austin, Austin Hayes a fielder's choice. Then out at home, then big salth Stewart call sal now and number forty four strikeout. See, you wouldn't want to be a strike out? Bad of a season? Did Dalla Cruz have the last half? The Lord half?
Brutal and defensively? What had twenty five errors the last two years? She said, fifty errors? That's why they need to That's why. And that's one thing that the Reds had this year.
No.
Also, situational hitting none again, basis Jack twice? Nothing night? So up next here we go January Reds Fest. Here we go, the first event at the new Convention Center. Here we go, Red Legs. Here we go Spring training in February.
Opening day twenty twenty six against those Boston Red Sox on March the twenty sixth. The Red Sox and the Reds.
You know, they were formed by almost the same group, the group that was in Cincinnati the late eighteen sixties made their way to Boston and they called themselves the Red Sox. They go to a local habidashery in eighteen sixty eight and the only color available was red because all the blue, the Union, the British all left it behind.
Left it.
And that's why the big came the Reds and they became the Red Stockings. Then the Red Sox became the Red Sox, having the Reds become the Red Stockings.
You know what I'm saying. It is a one hundred and seventy five days until opening day.
Well, what's the date again? March twenty six. March twenty six will be the Holy Grail. Will I make more predictions or not? Gotta comes up to you. You have to come to find out a.
Lot of game threes today, winner go home games Cleveland and Detroit three o'clock, Padres and Cubbies at five, Red Sox and Yanks at eight. Well, I want the Red Sox to win because everything about New York I don't like. Well, I think if the Yankees lose today, Aaron Boone's gonna probably be they'll fire him within ten seconds. Bengals Update. Well, he brought to you by Good Spirits and Party Town
thirteen locations in Northern Kentucky. Bengals and Lions Sunday four to twenty five kickoff pay Course Stadium Preview it all tonight since a tax resolution powered by Top Roundtable Show presented by Postman Law Live from Long Necks and rich Wood six oh five and lancera rock right here on seven hundred WLW second.
About twenty minutes, I have Brandon Sayhowe coming up from Channel five. Yes, who at Channel five was his life was saved basically by George Vogel.
He's doing a great job. Ye see.
I like that guy because now and then you get depressed, don't you you getting Around the time I walk in here with you, you get depressed. But dude becomes suicidal at times.
One thing though, Willie we want to say congrats to one of our own today. Who is it? Dave Yitti Armbrewster. What his first hole in one in golf? Where was it? It happened on whole number three West, one hundred and thirty yards at beautiful glen View one hopping in according to his part playing partner, the Great Mike McConnell. What clue I understand had ten pars Mike mc donald yesterday?
Did he put them all out? I got Jimmy's from twenty feet. I don't know, I don't know, but yed Man's got his first hole in one her Yidman, congratulations. It sounds like a mental hospital glen View.
And then you know, and then you might might want to invite them over to the friendly confines.
I've had one hole in one of my life. I played golf since I was fifteen. Well, I've had one. Yid's matched you. The legendary Bruce Roddy had fourteen holes in one Jez fourteen. He shot his age one four hundred and twelve times. Now, one other little fact for you. The year before he died, Yes, he was seventy nine years old. He shot fifteen strokes below his age on ken View golf Course at Kenwood fifteen strokes below your age and putted everything out fifteen strokes below your age.
Just contemplate that for a while. He shot sixty four and he was seventy nine.
Was my partner? I took him as a partner. Would you agree? Yes, you're my partner. Bruce. It's me Bruce Gardner.
And we were beat up on Tino and Wally beat him like a redheaded step child and a rented mule. And Bruce was the man seventy nine years old shoots sixty four.
How about that?
Say get me out of the Stude's report, please, Willie Nutter of the Reds of twenty twenty.
Five, Brandon coming up, say we leave you with the immortal words of the Stooge report. I lost my mind? Who was that? I was heading? You'd lost his mind and lost his ball in the cup? On news Radio seven hundred w.
Let's continue now, Billy Cunning into Great America and one of the great aspects of our human life, just the mental side of things, which often dominates the physical side. We spent in disproportionate amounts of money on physicality, lack of resources, and a lot of condemnation of mental difficulties. And one of the persons whose lives have crossed with mine is Brandon Sajo, who began in Cincinnati as a sportscaster.
He kind of filtered away a little bit. He worked here, worked with me a little bit, but then he shall I use the term, resurface a few years later with the Mental Game podcast headquartered in la and once again Brandon, soho, welcome to the Bill Cunningham Show. And first of all, Brandon described to the American people how our paths crossed.
At one point many years ago.
I was a young cub at seven hundred doing the America's Trucking Network overnight and so I think I filled in maybe once or twice during your show and then the Sunday show. So I was just a little guy trying to figure out the media world.
And from that point you went to television, and then after that something happened. You worked at local television stations here in Cincinnati.
What happened? What was the break in your life that changed it fundamentally?
Yeah, I mean I had struggled with my mental health behind the scene since being you know, a freshman at LaSalle back in two thousand and seven and struggled with alcoholism and depression, suicidal thoughts off and on, and then got to this rock bottom during twenty twenty one. Look, you know it, we lose everything. So for the Bengals to go to the super Bowl and you see, to be in the playoffs, it was huge. But behind the scenes, I lost three family members. I lost my relationship, the
woman I thought I was gonna marry. I had all this pressure on me at work and I had no other choice but to ask for help or I, you know, wouldn't be alive. And so thankfully I had the courage to do that. But man, I just thought alone didn't want to live anymore, And without asking for help, I'm probably not here having this conversation with you.
Man, well as alcohol is a medicine for you.
Yeah, it was, like I call it the pain. You know, I lost, you know, my grandpa to addiction. Never met him. He was you know, passed before I was born. My dad was an alcoholic. I just, yeah, something that I turned to. I call it autopilot. You know, I think you can joke. I love I love all the places down things, but you can joke with a lot of those people down there. It would see me until three or four in the morning, five nights a week, my entire in Cincinnati. It's really sad to look back at.
So you were in a dark, lonely place, no one to turn to. Alcohol was like a bottle, it was like a crutch, It was like a medicine. You were severely or mentally depressed. How close were you to suicide?
I mean that that that walked home almost every night to where I lived in Covington, on the Rubling Bridge. I mean I sat there fifty to seventy five nights thinking about you know, and in it. I had many nights of I mean I wrote by letter, I had a lot of you know, Willie. If I didn't have the courage to talk to my mom that night, the final night on that bridge, I probably go so yeah, I was. I was as close as it gets.
Man.
I haven't told this story really at all. There was a night that I was calling people to say goodbye, and the first person I called was George Vogel, and God bless him. He came to my house at two am, that was me in my living room and talked me kind of off that ledge. I will preface it with being the good man that he is. He saw a bottle bottle of bourbon across the hall on my bar and said, hey, can I have a sip while I sit here and listen to you? And I said absolutely.
It's hard for me to laugh about this stuff sometimes looking back, but you know, yeah, I was at I was at rock bottom and I didn't want to be here anymore. Man. I'm about as close as you can get, and I thank God every day that I'm still alive.
You were working on Channel five with SRI and with others since, so at this point, what were the pressures that you felt that you could not deal? Many can shed them like water hitting the ducks back others it soaks in. What did you perceive as the problems in your mind? Brendon say he that that we're on that were insurmountable.
I think for me, the biggest thing was feeling alone.
You know it.
Growing up in Cincinnati, the most common thing that people do is, uh, marry their high school sweetheart, had the perfect house, stay on the east side or west side, and live a happy life. And you know, that's what I wanted, and it wasn't what I had. You know, I was single a lot of my life dealing with some relationships stuff, and you know that that breakup in that moment, along with losing you know, family members, including my cousin Ben, who had a heart attack at thirty one.
He's basically my older brother. But I think the relationship crawling, you know, falling apart, that's what got me the most. And I felt like, as a man, you know, I'm supposed to be married and be a father one day, and I want to find this stuff and what is wrong with me? Why get it? And so yeah that I thought I'd always be alone. And yeah, it just made me feel like I wasn't good enough for anyone, even myself.
You know, men aren't supposed to cry, and men aren't supposed to show emotion, and men are supposed to be harry s alphas. And when things don't turn out that way, some sink into a bottle, some sink into drugs, and you eventually checked into a mental hospital.
Is that correct?
Yeah? The Lender Center of Hope and Mason, which has saved my life in so many lives people, not just in Ohio but all across the country. It really is an amazing place.
What happened there.
So I don't know about you, Willy, I'm gonna guess that you had the same concept of a mental hospital that I did as a psych ward. Where they throw someone in a white, padded room and they cry for hours and then when they're done crying, they're all better and they go home. That's not what it is at all.
I would say about ten to fifteen percent of the time with one on one therapy with my therapist or a psychiatrist, but you know, percent as the time with a classroom, just like you know we had in high school with twenty to twenty five people eighteen to eighty years old, every color, creed, job background. We just had this one thing in common. We didn't want to live anymore. Get help. And that was the first time I realized
I wasn't alone. And it was the first time that I learned what grief was and how to deal with these intrusive thoughts, and what to look for and how to cope and what's healthy and unhealthy. That obviously alcohol is going to hurt me, But how do I open up to someone and being a man, I mean, I know we can't say the word on the radio, but I'll never forget one of these, you know, therapists teaching these sessions, going Brandon, why aren't you opened up? Wy
aren't you telling your story? And I said, well, as a man, I've always just been kind of a blank, you know the B word. I've always been weak. I've been emotional as a man. And she stopped me right there and she said, you know what, that's the problem with the stigma with mental health, but specifically men's mental health, and you're not that. And that's what starting to have those conversations with the other men in the room, that's
what opened the door for me to get help. But just learning things that I had never learned before, like you know, recognizing when you're struggling, when you're not being yourself, that's a huge red site.
Really.
My job, similar to yours, was to interview these big stars and to be on the field with Burrow and Chase and be on TV every day, living out that dream job I had, you know, in my hometown. I hated my job all of a sudden, and it wasn't because of Channel five. It's because of my mental health. Struggled. I hated working out. I was sleeping into one in the afternoon. I was drunker than a skunk every night.
I mean, I wasn't being myself, and so those things add up and you get in a point where that's all I knew to do was to ask for help.
But for Lender Center, but for your mother, but for George Fogel, you'd be at the bottom of the Ohio River.
I think, so, man, that's a that's a tough way to ask it. I uh, I'm thinking, I'm you know, I'm a visual storyteller. So yeah, I think, yeah. You know what's crazy about that is that we are a voting family and my mom didn't know any of this stuff, and we would always anchor next to the Roebling to watch and you know, the fireworks for Red games, or to hang out on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and so yeah, I think of you know what's tough too, I think a Tom Greshen. I think a guy that
we lost like him, Corey Cunningham. We went to UC with me, played football for the Giants. We lost him last year. And because people were scared to open up and they thought that this was the end of the world and they were always going to feel these feelings so I'm one of the lucky ones man, and it's been Yeah, I don't know what would have happened, but I don't think I would have been a lot.
Friend.
Say, how long were you at the Lender Center and how did your journey go from there in Mason to Los Angeles with your podcast, explain.
That, Yeah, I was there for two weeks, and you know, care ranges between what your needs are, how you're ruggling. I was in the partial hospitalization program, so I basically went to the hospital every day like kind of like a nine to five job. And because I wasn't, you know, maybe in a spot where they thought I could harm myself at home, I was able to go home every night. But it was the first time really that like I got to focus on me. I don't have to worry
about work. And Channel five was amazing with their support my coworkers you mentioned Shari and George, but also the people up top that like really let me have that time off. And so when I got back to work, I realized I didn't have that same passion for mental health or for sports supporting anymore. I had this new passion for mental health, and I texted my boy Sam Hubbard and said, hey, can I try this idea out with you? And he ended up becoming the first guest.
And without Sam, none of this as possible. And man,
it started. You know how it is, you get some nos from people you want to interview, or from agents or managers or people behind the scenes that are controlling the narratives, and I just kept taking no eventually started getting more yeses with people like Ricky Williams or Kate Flannery from the office, and it's built where I never thought in a million years I'd live in Los Angeles and be able to share these stories to some of the biggest stars like Terry Crews or Kirk kurb Street
or whoever you pick. And my goal, man is not to get like famous and to not be bigger than Cincinnati. Cincinnati made me who I am and I'm going to the Reds game, you know, when they were in town doing this series this week. It's like, I love Cynthy and they support me so much. But the more we can grow, the more we can save lives and help people.
So it's been quite the journey. It's my favorite thing, man is I get to go to schools, I go to I was just at LaSalle High School, my alma mater, last week, sharing my story and it broke my heart that we lost someone to suicide Jonah last year. Sarah Lease, you're a good friend. It's her cousin and I got to, you know, talk with them and their family. And my goal is to save lives. The chance that I get to now because of a podcast, go to schools, go
to company, just shoot you know. Joe Burrow's parents helped me bring thousand of the people to an arena at LSU to talk about mental health. I never thought this would be it, but man, it's a special purpose that I found through that struggle and a brand.
I've seen you in arenas with ten thousand people, and the good you have done is really unbridled. You could not have imagined when you were a line producer here with me that you would be in ten years filling up arenas at LSU. That would be impossible. In my life, I can recall going to Longview State Mental Hospital. My father's brother, his name was Bob, and we'd go maybe four or five times a year to visit him a Longview State Mental Hospital. I believe he was there most
of his life. They and he never got out of the mental hospital. And from that I was scared to death of eventually getting into an orphanage because my father is alcoholism.
The fact we had nowhere to go. When I was a little boy, my mom hooked me up.
We hooked up with my mo sister and her name was Annette arling House, and I could not imagine what would have happened to us in Deer Park, A young mother with four kids and the father's an alcoholic. He's gone, never came back again except for my beloved aunt and at arling House, we all moved in with her. So living in one house was their mother, another sister, my mother, a Nette. That's four here comes four more kids. And
I was scared to death. That's something what happened to me, that I'd end up in an orphanage or ending up in a mental hospital. And so when I got my law degree, the first thing I wanted to do was work with mental health. So I spent years down in the Hamlin the County Probate Court, handling mental health hearings to help individuals with mental problems that did not have to be institutionalized. Now there's been a metamorphosis with treatments.
Are you aware of the last how this was dealt with, say, thirty to forty years ago, as compared as being dealt with today, Are you a word the journey that's been made and how far we've come yet how far.
We have to go?
Yes, and one, thank you for having that personal vulnerability on air right now, but also the work that you've done that to help change that stigma, to break it not just by words but also by actions. I think I have seen it change, you know, I've My mom, for instance, was on medication and therapy for fifteen years. I didn't learn any of that stuff until I told her I was suicidal three years ago because we didn't talk about this stuff. My father lost his father in
his twenties. We didn't talk about any of those emotions because he was tossed, never unpack it. So it's completely changed. I want to make sure I say this where you can have all of the amazing support from your family, friends, therapist, anyone that wants to help you. But if that person in the mirror doesn't want to make that change, isn't willing to ask for help and be vulnerable and shed those tears and be emotional, especially as a man. It's never going to change. And so I've lost, Like I
mentioned Corey, I've lost my friend Mike. I can go into my phone and show you messages from these guys telling me how much they loved what I was doing with mental health and how you know they want me to check in or they would check in on me. I was blindsided by it, man, And so I've got two friends to suicide since becoming the mental health guy. So if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. But at the end of the day, that person in the mirror has to want to make that change.
How are you doing now? Is it over?
Is an ongoing struggle? Have you put it away in a safe and locked it and never getting out again? Does a monster of mental health still stalk you a little bit?
I would say that my life. I'll tell you this willly.
I am.
I love myself and I'm happy with myself for the first time ever in my life over the past year and a half. So I don't think I'll ever get to that rock bottom again. But mental health isn't a fight you in. It's a fight that you battle. So there's days that might be tougher than others. But I really don't think I'll get back down to that past. But that's because I went to therapy. I still go
to therapy. I learned those things in the hospital in Mason, and so yeah, I think I'm happy, Like genuinely, I am okay on my own being alone. Do I still dream of one day having a wife and kids and maybe moving back to Cincinnati and living out that dream that I wanted since I was that weird, romanticized fourteen year old freshman seeing everyone else dates, you know, our
high school sweethearts, you know in Cincinnati. Yes, but that's not what's making me depressed every second of every day because I don't have that partner or I don't have that family. That's the big difference for me. I really really do feel like I'm in the best place, and it's because I'm serving a purpose, you know, I'm you know, I grew up, you know, with a dream to be
a sports supporter. But at the end of the day, I want to just tell stories and help people, and I feel like I'm doing that the best way I know how to.
You know, I told you off the air, Brandon I'm glad you found your life's work. I think what sportscasters do is very important. No problem there with Charlie Clifford and others, no difficulty get about it. But that's not for everyone. And one of the great things in life is to have individuals like Brandon Sajo who realized, look, of course I'm on, it's not the one for me. And I'm so glad you didn't jump off that bridge. I'm glad George Vogel was there. I'm glad your mother
was there. And now for those who want to get involved, it's The Mental Game podcast by Brandon Sajo. As like in sam Aho, you've been out of the media in this town for about five or six years, but you're not out of our hearts because we remember at the time you were struggling. And I'm so glad you found the good place. And Brandon Sajo, You're always welcome here. And if you ever come back to this market and want to do something publicly, you have my phone number.
Let's work together, and may God bless you and God bless America. Brandon Sajo, thank you for the man that you are today.
Thank you so much. WILLI and just don't worry. Everyone can get help. You're not alone.
Thank you all right, Brandon, thank you very much.
Let's continue with more news coming up at your home of the Reds and Bengals, News Radio seven hundred w AT.
There's still tomorrow. Don't give up, not yet, be hopeful, be happy, there's still tomorrow. Don't give up, never give up.
No no, no, I won't get up. No no, no up you you I don't get out no no.
Oh hello bye, I'm broadcasting.
Rocky. Was that was Tom Brennan, you know, saying don't give up, never give up?
No no no.
I put that in because I thought it was.
Can I Critisancona a little bit? The first game of the seventh inning, you got Hayes coming up to bat, who doesn't hit it all a third basement, and and you got Sal on the bench.
Just call Sal. He didn't do that. Of course, Hayes does nothing.
And then last night he gets three RBIs and and last and and the next inning of the first game, that's the position Sal would have been up in with the bases loaded. Of course Hayes did nothing, So the team lacks offense. And then pitching wise, you left in the bullpench Shall we say Abbott at all?
Who were ready to go? Last night?
Was for your life three to two bringing Martinez and you got hammers ready to go, you then use them? Am I right to criticize Tito Francona? I think you can certainly make the argument you put Abbott in and you go for broke.
Yeah, go for broke. There's no tomorrow. And didn't do it, that's for sure. And now there, now there. But Abbitt's ready to go tonight?
Right?
What about Ellie? In a big moment once again?
Collapse and he belongs in right field, center field, left field, but he's not What was his stats the last half of the year?
Bad that the Reds were eighty the last half of the year a night, but he was on the All Star team. Great number. But that's the thing.
I bet you if you walk down the Fountain Square right now and said what kind of years Ellie having, I bet everyone's, oh my god, he's having an amazing year. There's like the thought and the feeling for whatever reason is he's playing amazing brand of baseball and he's not.
He's an exciting player on the right.
Second half the year, hit two ten second half the year, hit three home runs. Second half of the year, he had more errors than home runs. Is that good or bad?
It's not good?
So can now.
Jeff Brantley said it in the post game. I'm listening at one fifteen am this morning when Jeff Brandley said there's got to be big changes in this ball club.
Hunter Green gone get him out? You agree, or just get him out?
He's just don't think he's just don't think he's a hammer in terms of like on the mound in the locker room. No nonsense, no bs, we needed one of those presents like that, and that's not Hunter Green or is no we.
Need Greg Vaughan Dave. Who's the enforcer in that locker room? Who's the enforcer?
Who's the guy at every locker room I played in, there was a guy that was like, okay, when things got a little squirrely, laid it down.
What was it like when Parkway was in the locker room and things are going south? Six foot eight, you're gonna ask You're gonna ask you to make him bad.
Say what happened when you went up to me after the game and asked him what happened? Why he went for four in the night.
What what what happened? And asked that question what happened? And then he looked down at you hooked down.
He would he would, he would reach down and pick me up by by by just grabbed me by my skull and then put me back down again.
Sorry. I want to ask, what changes do you make rocking the Reds? Because I have hope for this ball club. I have hope. We need a veteran presence that is a con assistant hit.
Her power Philadelphia. They need power power Middletown, Ohio powered.
This is a right.
There's supposed to be a ballpark where you can hit a lot of runs. So let's get a guy that can hit a lot of home runs.
How about that idea?
Is a veteran guy that's you know, has some experience and those what it takes set man.
We need a hairy as man. Pete Alonzo, Well, he's he's available? So Orburg is he available?
I don't know yet, we don't know. I think he'll be available. I mean, is he gonna stick with if Philly's win it all? You think he's gonna come here? Yes, he wants to come here, doesn't he? I guess he wants to.
If he comes here, he will remodel third base, left field by himself. How many home runs?
We didn't have one guy hit twenty three home runs or more this year in a bandbox. Nope, And he didn't steal bases.
Remember last year, I know we talked about this yesterday that that was the thing that I can't understand from last year to this year.
Why why not ceiling?
How do you go first, second, third, Because if you if you're not manufacturing power, you got to find a way to get you know, scoring position to turn a single into a double.
Eighty five RBIs or more. No one hit them. So we had a team without pitching, without power. We didn't steal bases. How did they get to the playoffs?
Say?
How did they get there? They lost? They got the Mets lost, Yeah, the Mets.
One thing I'm going to remember about this year is the locker room celebration in Milwaukee.
I'll remember that over everything.
I've taken a lot of flak because I was against that. I didn't think it was a great look. I understand, you win your first playoff series since ninety five. Okay, champagne, let's pop some bottles, But you kind of eke your way in. I think you get the.
Shirts, you high five, you celebrate a little bit, but it was a little much.
It ended the season much, and the reds Now lost eight playoff games in a row going back to twenty twelve. They lost, you know, the last three twenty thirteen to one twenty. They have the longest history of no playoff winning of any team in baseball.
Correct, since nineteen ninety five winning a playoff series. I was fifteen, fifteen just started as scenes over your high school.
You were.
How old were you? You were fifteen? You've spent your fun knife waiting for next year? Right, little Rock may spend his life waiting for next year, haven't we all?
Yes?
Yeah, nineteen ninety five was glory? Would you agree? Los Angeles Dianomo sweep the Dodgers.
I say, put the cowboy in that locker row at going Nuts and Chavez Ravine.
You thought the celebration Sunday night was overblown? You're catching flight for that rock up, stand up, stand up.
I didn't love it. I didn't love it.
I love it.
Well, they'd accomplished something. They actually Okay, we've won the whole thing, right, No, we got to India. You gotta play in forty eight hours and they they got hammered twice.
Seg, go ahead, will leave the stude reporters of proud service of your local temp Star Heating.
They're conditioning dealers. Tame star quality.
You could feel a beautiful Northern Kentucky called Johnson Heating and Coolie at eight five, nine, four, seven to two sixty fifty one spots.
Let's see Bengals update. Well, he brought to you by Good Spirits and Party Town, but thirteen locations in northern Kentucky. Bengals are on the field this afternoon, getting ready for those Lions Sunday in a four to twenty five kickoff. Break it down, pay Course Stadium, Downtown break He's going to break it down tonight tonight and Richwood Richwood, Richwood, Lance and I I'll preview the show. Lance and I are going to delve into what what is the core issue?
What is the issue? What is the issue?
Is it is the lack of preparation? Is it the lack of game plan? Is it the lack of run game? Is it the lack of leadership presence?
Yeah, break it down? What about hammertal Itch? Could that be a problem. Add that to the list. Just you gotta break it down town.
I want to know it's we got wait till six o'clock's gonna break it down. And Richwood on the Cincinnati on the Cincinnati Tax Resolution powered by TOAF, I got the Round Table Show presented by Postman Long Live from Long Knicks and rich Wood.
You'll be there you And I'm listening to Lance this morning at a I was listening. There was a three minute break with nothing. We were off the air, which is quite often at three three minutes of nothingness. Then all in mid sentence, Lance comes on. I said, this is good. I listened to Lance. Did you listen at one fifteen hours?
I did not.
I was.
Second night, but listening to get McAllister at one fifteen this morning. Did he get calls? Yes? And one from Independence had another call from Cole Rain. You should have called in. I should have called in called I get my perspective on what happened? What did happen? How about Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday? Cincinnati dominates the national airwaves. We send our best out there.
I hope the bank wass can at least play well. It's a ten and a half point spread and all the all the money's taking the taking the line.
Still can the lion beat a tiger? That's what I don't know. I think tigers are bigger than lions. I'm not sure. Maybe they can turn it around, turn it around, I hope. I'm hoping.
Then after this, go to Green Bay and take the Packers down right, yeah, and come backers star.
That's gonna Wouldn't that be something? That'd be something? Sure would be something.
How many times have the Bengals with Joe Burrow been a double digit dog at home?
None?
I can't remember. Rock, You and last have a lot of work to do. We will break it all down from here. This morning it was he at home? Where was he? Believe he was here here? Get one of those comrexes. Do him from your house?
You know?
And I think you wanted to come in and wanted talking to the American people. As expressed, I.
Was listening, I gonna go to sleep till two or three. I was listening. How do you not go to sleep till two or three? I don't know. My mind is this. I need some CBD, I need some I need some gummies.
I need something because I I go up about one one fifteen, but I can't sleep till three or four. My mind's too active. Stuff's going on, Things are happening in there all the time. Y'all to join me in my mind, Like at two o'clock in the morning.
My mind's whipping around too. I go to sleep pretty early, but then I'm up early, so I'm waking up at that time.
You didn't hear Lance at one fifteen? Am you crazy? I'm sleeping? It was Jeth throw from indiapad. I heard from Lance enough. I bet you have, But today we get more of Lance six to nine? Correct, right with? So you're on from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana.
We clipped Tennessee on the on the last stretch the red foot Yah back to outside of Nashville, back to Atlanta.
I should just I should just be an airport hotel.
Save me.
It's probably about you, knows right.
Kentucky, Indiana back to home and from there Indiana back to CBG, and from CBG to Atlanta, from Atlanta to memph now from Memphis back to Atlanta, Atlanta back to ZBG, then back to back to home.
That's my travel this weekend. So your reaction give me some more signed up for the big that's it, you know, give me some more sports going on. That's like my New York days right now.
I'd at three oh six, I leave here, drive quickly four to ten to Legordy.
You get there just in time. I go through TSA four ten, get in Land about five thirty quarteral six my car unlucky lucky day.
Trevors pick me up. I go to the hotel. I get there about six pm Thursday night. I'm sitting there with three books about an inch thick of the three days next shows.
These are the three shows and you booked how many shows? At one, three, three and one day?
So I get up at an am, right, I got to make up by eight thirty, walk to the hotel, got out of nine four. Wait when was the Spraystanning? When the lady came by for four and she said take your clothes off, And I'm going, okay, don't leave that out. And then I have a pre production meeting.
Then I go and far up the audience, talk to them about the show coming up, sit there, do the show for Aaron Tennis. Come off set, go into my studio and do three hours of talk radio until three o'clock, eat lunch during the breaks, then at three point thirty bring in the second show audience loaded. I go back, talk to production that I've re memborized all the stuff for the looks I gotta do. And then I go do that show until four thirty, quarter to five, come out,
try to eat dinner. Then I go back and do a six PM show until seven seven thirty pm. Come back out, do three to post production? What one right, went one wrong?
You did this?
Then do that, et cetera. Think it up The next day at by nine pm, I got the three shows given to me. The next night, I have to memorize everything in the next show for a three live TV shows on Friday.
Go to repeat that thing on Friday.
Then get in the car, go back to the Logordia, take out ten o'clock, lend either Hope, Columbus, Cincinnati or Dayton Land somewhere Penny.
Would pick me up, and I go back home. Now would you do that?
See you wanted the glass. I have a very similar schedule. That's why you have a hoy pond and a double wide in Florida. Good point, you know, a sacrifice.
And I was set at the end I wore me out. Just hear it all that again.
Sean comp just said to me, look, we'll give you a one year contract for three million dollars.
And I said, I can't keep doing it. I can't do when your other contract ended. Yeah, I can't do it. I said, I can't do two hundred and ten radio shows a year and two hundred and forty TV shows a year. It's killing me. What about three years and ten? How many years you did? Five years? Okay?
Yes?
For three?
For ten?
Yes?
What do you say? Can't can't afford it? I said, thank you good, because I didn't want it anyway. Radio a mile from here are right there.
I would have loved this look on your face and he said, all right, we'll do it. You were like god, staring on the barrel of three years. Then I would have said ten million bucks. I would have said goodbye to radio, and you wouldn't be here talking to me in segr I'd rather be here with you guys and dealing with like TSHA and the third Who's Your Daddy?
Show? You know I can't do it right if it was right here, yes, but you gotta get say that. The shows were very similar like the themes were very similar, so it wasn't like you were all over the place. It was morey like Jerry like, I'm glad. I'm glad. If he would have said yes, I wouldn't be here. Maybe for the better. I'm not sure. What's on the big show this afternoon? See what do you got, Bratherigate.
We have a Jeff Carr from Locked on Red's Great To Podcast about when I asked about Hunter Green asking.
About the future, who the resid need to keep? Let go?
Now that's a good write this down, write that down, okay. And then at four o'clock we got our fitness guy PJ. Street going to talk about affordable options for eating healthy. It's kind of the conundrum is a lot of the healthy stuff to eat healthy, it's either very time consuming or very expensive.
But he's gonna give us some tips on some Yeah, I just had some rons, Ruy, can I have some rons? Rus?
Meant to ask you as much as you want, right, you grab a piece. And then then we're talking with Jason Hoffman at five o'clock. And then about five forty seven, the helicopter takes.
Me to Richwood. So that's it. Say give me out of the Stew's report. Please, well, they under of the Red Legs twenty twenty five season, and we got to look forward to the Bengals.
We leave, and what about FC break it down? If they sit here three and oh the next three weeks, you guys will be snickering. We leave you with the immortal words of the Stee Report.
This team is simply not ready to be primetime players. They failed too many times in crutch time. When a basit here, a basit there will turn the whole game around, and for the most part this season it has been a season long worth of disappointment in that area.
What the period right there, Marty, that's it.
Ask your expert at three o'clock on that one seven hundred WLW