Jimmy Sangenberger is joining me. Now, oh hey, there you go.
God.
That always startles me when you do that.
He's joining me because today's colin in the Denver Gazette is.
About Wanda James.
Now, Wanda James is quite the success story. Hang on one second, let me do that. Hang on, hang on, I'm in trouble here doing my zoom. There we go, all kinds of technical difficulties. Wanda James is a real success story. Back in the day, she was one of the key people promoting special dispensations for African American people who wanted to buy a pot store, and lo and behold, she used that dispensation to buy a pot store. She is an American success story. She's also a Seyo regent.
And that is where things get sticky and why I invited Jimmy Sangenberger back on the show to talk about today's column. First of all, Jimmy, congratulations, you have a film.
Say now, how does it feel?
Well? Thank you, it feels good. You know, it's an exciting time and looking forward to what's ahead for me and Victoria.
Well, congratulations.
I love it when people get married, so I'm happy that you guys have decided to take the plunge. Let's talk about this column today because we had you on not too long ago to talk about how Regent Wanda James, who as regent of the Colorado University System has a duty as regent to advocate four and advocate four.
Things that will benefit.
The CU chain of universities, and yet she had taken it upon herself to advocate against a public policy initiative that was being done by CU and Departments of Health
about high POTENCYHC. Now, the issue at the time was it was racist because there were images of black babies in utero and black children along with images of white babies in uterow and white children in an effort to explain to people how high POTENCYCHC, which Wanda James sells at her dispensary legally can be damaging to young people and babies in uterow. But she said it was racist, attack the program, and then what happened then and where are we now?
Well, So it's fascinating to have a CU regent who decides to put her interest, at least that's what it seems to me into so many observers ahead of the university because of course she's got these business interests in marijuana. And here you have a state mandated program that the Colorado School of Public Health, which is predominantly the University of Colorado, but it's also got CSU and UNC, I think are the two other universities that are involved in this.
And nevertheless they're required by law to do this program. And so they partner up with a company called the Niche and hell create this website t on THC dot org and a slew of other materials, videos, all kinds of things. And here comes Wanda James picking out one aspect of the program, acting like there are no illustrations of white children and white babies in utero and that it is only black children and that that is inherently racist.
And so over time you had Wanda attempt to get funding pulled for the program, actually reached out to the Governor's office, spoke with at the very least for sure,
the governor's senior advisor when it comes to cannabis. And the day after that conversation, the budget director for Polus's office sends a letter the Joint Budget Committee specifically requesting in part that all of the funding for this program, which is funded by marijuana tax money, get pulled, and meanwhile Wanda is publicly going out there calling the program racis trying to get rid of it, and so, needless to say, to make a long story short, see you,
Regent Chair Kellie Renaisson and Vice Chair Ken Montera, a Democrat and a Republican respectively, say hey, we need to look into this. They've launched a independent probe to look into whether or not she may have violated laws or
Regent policies in proceeding here. And then that brought us to last Thursday, when there was a CU Board of Regent's meeting and public comment, and Wanda even got off the day as herself to go and join her friends in calling this racist and lambasting her own university in what was really something that at least for a good chunk of the time turned into the Wanda Show.
So let me just say this.
First of all, you can disagree with the representation in this t on THHC, but she has never has she ever successfully launched any sort of cogent attack against the content of the information in the programmer. She always kept it on it's racist because of these racist images.
That's a great question. So the only criticism that she's had in terms of the style of content has been these images, which are just a teeny tiny part of
the entire program. She has criticized some of these science behind it, although that's something that has largely been on the DL because she's been emphasizing the racial piece because first of all, she's wrong on the science right, and that would be criticizing the university's academic freedom in how they've approached the data with actual scientists, and instead has emphasized this idea that it is racist, and she has nobody, nobody who testified, had given any sort of explanation to
Andy as to how or why these images are supposedly racist.
So now I thought it was interesting in her column today, Jimmy, is that you did a deeper dive on African American representation in medical imagery, like why would this why would we even think this was a thing. But ultimately, it's my understanding that the t on THHC campaign immediately pulled the graphics that she found objectionable and that was not enough for her. So doesn't that kind of cut the legs out from under any discussions about racism.
Yeah, I mean, if they do what you want and then you keep beating the drum, how do you end up becoming this victim months later? Remember this happened predominantly in her first stink and all of that. And when the images were taken down was in January, right, we are now in mid April. And so I would say one of the things that was really striking as I looked into this, there's the claim, oh my gosh, these
illustrations are racists. And yet there is a big push around the country and indep around the world from folks in the medical world, especially people who themselves are black and brown, for more representation in illustrations in anatomy textbooks.
One study found only five percent of images are of people or illustrations are of people with darker skin, which has implications in terms of medical professionals and how they might evaluate or learn about particular skin conditions and other issues. And so, really, what CU was doing here with a niche of health at this and the School of Public Health is following the recommendations of a growing body of researchers who say we need more black and brown representation
in these images. And it's especially important because the idea of t on THC is to get young people, in particular women who are pregnant, but others in the broader community around the state to understand the issues and relate to the content better so that it will stick to them. Because when we see representation that seems similar to us, we can relate to it more. And that's what this
research is showing. And Wanda James is undermining that because the person who claims to be all about more black representation, finally here's an instance where that is happening. But it is to her detriment, to her business interest detriment.
That's the part of this that I find the most objectionable. I get protectionism by Wanda James. She is protecting her moneymaker, right, which is pot sales. I understand that part of it, but isn't it convenient that she's black so she can just scream racism And whether it's rooted in reality or not, there is nothing There's not a single thing about showing a black child in utero talking about being harmed by marijuana smoke, especially when you have white children represented in
the same way in the same presentation. The notion that that is racist is patently of I mean, I just reject it out of hand, and I'm frustrated because we talk on the show a lot there are actual instances of racism in our society.
There are.
It is a reality. There's always going to be people that harbor hate in their hearts. But the reality is is that every time some woman like Wanda James comes out and screams racism over something that is clearly not because she's using that to get her way, she undermines everybody else who has a legitimate concern or complaint.
And that is infuriating, and it.
Takes wherever we are in society in terms of race relation and just shoves it back. I don't even know how many years. That is the part I find the most egregious here.
I think that's well said and something else worth pointing out. Actually two things. One the president of Anisham Health, the public corporation, the public benefit corporation that is Colorado Bays that is working with the School of Public Health on this. His name is James Corbett and he is black. A filmmaker who testified in public comment last week and produced two of the films for Tea on THHC himself is black.
The chair of the Scientific Review Council is a Spanish speaking Hispanic who used to lead the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment when marijuana became legalized in this state. Brandon Lloyd, former Broncos player, is an influencer who is helping to promote this message and visiting students at schools and talking to them about hot and heat. Himself is
black as well. But when Wanda James is able to bring out our good friend Tay Anderson in public comment last week, or former Denver mayor Wellington Webb or Leslie Harrod, the former state representative, or the head of the NAACP for Colorado and bring them out to public comment and turn this into a racial spectacle that is deeply disingenuous, and it harms the university in a way that is
beyond the pale in mind. You, I mean, I think that the there's no justification for this, especially when there are so many researchers and I lay out a lot of this. There's an organization of a Nigerian man who has started this group called Illustrate for Change that's all about having black representation in medical illustrations and the list goes on, and yet because this is wind to James, they're able to toss all that aside and make a
big stink out of it. And that's the only reason that they're not actually saying, you know what, this is a good thing is because Wanda James decided to throw a fit and she's got reread with so many people in the really frenzy among the Democrat part.
I think it's one thing to argue from a libertarian perspective that marijuana should be legal and adults should be able to make their own choices, and quite another to argue that science that is getting clearer and clearer by the way. I mean, we now have more and more research into the effective high potencyc I am not I am not an absolutionist. I don't want to say abolitionists. I don't want to abolish I'm a freedom loving person.
But at the same time, I think people should be informed about the effect or impacts that what they are consuming on their body.
Right.
I think it's important that we have conversations about what alcohol does long term and how more and more young people are dying of alcohol addiction, and I think we have to do the same for pot and I realize that when it is your business, the last thing you want is bad news about your product. But the reality is is that you are in the business of vice. You are in the vice business. You are a merchant of death, as they say, that's the old phrase for
people in the vice business. So you better be prepared to defend that without trying to shut down conversation you agree with. And that's what she did. She didn't argue against it, she didn't say it was wrong, she didn't prevent present different science. She just said, I don't like what you're saying, and I'm going to make sure the funding gets pulled. And for that, I think she should
be removed from the Board of Regents. What could be the end result of these questions by the Board of Regents about her actions, Yeah.
It's unclear. There's the possibility of a censure. Now, her supporters were acting as though she was on the verge of being censured already. They're not to that point. But if this investigation were to come back and say, hey, there was serious wrongdoing here, then there is a possibility
for a censure. For example, if she broke the one law that was suggested in a report by a memo by a university council that suggested she may have violated a felony statue against attempts to influence a public servant. This one a three felony counts of the four that Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, was found guilty of and convicted and put behind bars for, was attempt
to influence a public servant. That's possible. So if you have some of these statutory violations found region policy violations, that's what it would be for not speaking out like she's trying to make it be about that she said something and called out racism and now she's being punelized and penalized through retribution for it. It would be that.
So you could have a censure, you could have a district attorney who would say, hey, I'm going to look into this, the State Ethics Commission could act on it. We'll see. But she's definitely made this a lot bigger of an issue than it otherwise could have been.
Well, she's fighting for her financial life, right, I mean, she's when people are fighting for their financial life, they'll they'll do whatever they need to do. A texter just said this quite appropriately if they didn't have pictures of black people, she would be complaining about the lack of black representations. There you go, read the column today and the Denver Gazette. Jimmy Seinerberger writes twice a week for
the Denver Gazette and does a great job. And he fills in for me and Ross and all of us over here at KOA. So you'll be hearing him, I'm sure soon, as I've got a couple of vacations coming up. But now it's time for the most exciting segment on the radio.
Of its guide in the Jimmy of the Day.
I forgot to tell Jimmy what his role there was when you were supposed to yell in the world. But I figured a rod handled it no problem.
Now, are you yes?
Yeah?
Are you familiar with of the Day Jimmy Sangenberger. Are you ready?
We have done this before. I am ready.
Well, because you are on a zoom call, you have a delay. I will wait until the end of the jeopardy question, whereas you don't have to, so that is your advantage. What is our dad joke of the day, please, Anthony.
The Egyptians claim there are no crocodiles in their country.
They're in den Oh gosh, okay.
Yeah, ye, I like it.
Yeah, what's the of the day? Please?
It is an adjective, pugnacious.
Oh, that means pugnacious. You're you're a fighter, you're kind of a stocky kind of is it a is it.
A visual word?
You show a readiness or desire to fight or argue?
There you go, pugnacious, pugnacious. Yeah.
When did here's our trivia question. When did Pinterest, the online visual bookmarking platform launch, And I still don't understand.
The two thousand two seven.
I'm going to say two thousand and two. Let's see here, probably early twenty ten mode and the app fallowed in twenty eleven. They really took off in twenty twelve. All right, Jimmy, I will be waiting until the end of the question. You do not have to wait until the end of the question. And I'd strongly recommend you get your answer and as soon as possible by saying Jimmy and then answering in the form of a question, what is our category today?
Police?
Your area? Okay, police your area or letter word for the area. A cop regularly covers Mandy.
What'd it be? That is correct?
The Scotland Yard Squad, named for this meaning in a moral habit, has been boringly renamed Serious Crime Directory nine habits.
I don't know, Jimmy, Jimmy.
No meaning in a moral habit. The word is vice.
Okay, yeah, I got it.
More and more small cities have these door busting teams.
Many Uh yeah, go Is that the end of it?
Uh?
It says Paducah, Kentucky uses its team about twice a year.
Kentucky, What is the swat?
Is correct?
This police force was established during the first term of Canada's first Prime Minister, John A.
McDonald. I'll give you the I'll give you the acronym. You have to give me the name, the r c MP.
Manny, what is the Royal Canadian Anounted Police.
It's not the nickname it says, that's not what it says.
The Canadian Mountains. The mountains.
I'm not gonna give you the point. You want to take an out, but you're not gonna get a point.
Kidding me.
No, we're gonna we're gonna meet it down the middle. No point.
Wait, what was the actual question?
Says the mountains?
What was the actual question.
YEA, name the police force, but you didn't say the Mountains Canadian Mounted Police gave. I said, give you the acronymone that says the l a p D strongly embraces this kind of policing that emphasizes working with the citizenry.
Mandy, what is community police? That is correct?
And Jimmy, it's too hard.
Jimmy's what I was gonna say. It's too hard.
I'm not going to take any joy in this victory. Jimmy, it's kind of like beating up your you know, best friend's little brother on this one.
So I don't know. There's something about game shows where it's never my strongest suit. But then you added the delay, and I, well, i'm gonna give you.
Yeah, I'm gonna give you an out. That's Jimmy Segingberger. Jimmy, good to see you, my friend, will see you soon.
Thank you,