myBurbank Talks

The Week That Was and That Will Be - October 14

Craig Sherwood Season 2 Episode 42

In our latest podcast episode, we delve deep into the heart of Burbank, a city buzzing with dynamic energy, vibrant community activities, and a politically charged atmosphere. The episode kicks off with a celebration of Burbank High School's impressive victory over Hoover, highlighting the spirit of local sports and the excitement it brings to the community. This triumph, however, is not just a standalone event but a part of the broader narrative of community achievements that shape the identity of Burbank.

One of the central discussions of the episode revolves around Measure ABC, a contentious local educational initiative that has sparked widespread debate. With insights from Andy Cantwell and Joel Schlossman, we explore the potential impacts of this measure on the future of Burbank's educational landscape. The episode takes a hard look at the intricacies of political debates and the importance of informed decision-making. We emphasize the value of tough yet fair questioning, ensuring that voters have the critical information they need to navigate these complex issues.

The podcast also uncovers the shadowy influence of Political Action Committees (PACs) in Burbank's elections, shedding light on how these entities can shape political outcomes. We discuss the often-misleading nature of political advertising and the need for transparency in campaign funding. By scrutinizing who funds these campaigns, listeners are equipped with the tools to make more informed choices at the ballot box, reinforcing the importance of civic engagement in a democratic society.

In addition to politics and education, the episode captures the essence of Burbank's community events, which bring residents together and foster a sense of belonging. From the spooky thrills of the Haunted Adventure Laboratory of Lost Souls to the whimsical charm of the Floating Pumpkin Patch at Verdugo Pool, these events are a testament to the city's vibrant community spirit. We highlight how such activities engage and entertain residents, contributing to the social fabric of Burbank.

The podcast further touches on upcoming episodes, including a highly anticipated discussion with the chairman of the police commission. This future episode promises to delve into the role and responsibilities of the commission, offering listeners a deeper understanding of law enforcement and public safety in Burbank. It's an opportunity to explore the dynamics of local governance and its impact on the community.

Listeners are also encouraged to support the podcast through various means, such as channel memberships and subscribing to the content. This support not only helps sustain the production of high-quality local news and discussions but also enables the podcast to continue serving as a valuable resource for the community.

In conclusion, this episode serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the multifaceted aspects of life in Burbank. From high school victories and educational debates to political transparency and community events, it provides a holistic view of the city's pulse. By engaging with this content, listeners are empowered to become more informed citizens, actively participating in shaping the future of their community. As we continue to explore the vibrant landscape of Burbank, we invite you to join us on this journey of discovery and engagement.

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Speaker 1:

My Burbank Talks presents another edition of the Week that Was and the Week that Will Be a weekly podcast featuring highlights and commentary on local events and issues taking place right here in Burbank. Now let's see what's on today's agenda as we join our program.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. Please, please sit down. Sit down. Thank you very much. Hello, burbank, craig Schubert here with you once again for another edition of the Week that Was and the Week that Will Be. Might be a little shorter edition this week because we've got a lot of sports going on, so we want to make sure we're staying up with the latest on the Dodgers, the Rams, we've got the Chargers going on. It's all going on at once, isn't it? Charges going on it's all going on at once, isn't it? But as always, we have a humble request that you like this video and please subscribe to our channel so YouTube continues to recommend this video to others like yourself, and also think about a channel membership to support us here at my Burbank.

Speaker 2:

Last week's Word of the Week winner was Kurt St Louis. The word was starlight, but Kurt did not send his address in. So please, kurt, send in your address. We want to send you a gift card this week. It's a gift card for $25 to Hill Street Cafe, so we want to send that to you and we'll have another Word of the Week later in our show. So please continue to watch and listen. If you're not watching on our YouTube channel. We know you're listening on one of the podcast channels and we're also on 13 different podcast platforms, so we do get around.

Speaker 2:

So last week on the YouTube channel, we uploaded the debate of Measure ABC. We had both Andy Cantwell from the Burbank Unified School District and Joel Schlossman, who is a staunch opponent of the measure, on the show. I think it went amazingly well and hopefully educated our listeners on the ballot measure, which is very important to everybody. So you know once again, you know it's about the future of our schools. You know, one way or another, you know, I think it's something you need to really consider and think about. We also have the state measure 2. The state measure 2, that's going to support the schools. So there's a lot going on school funding wise. I'm proud of the work that we also did on all the candidate podcasts.

Speaker 2:

Every candidate who sent an email in and asked to be on was given a chance. There were times that I thought would be contentious because of some of my past views and opinions, but every candidate was very civil and we got along very good actually, and I was very thankful how things went. And you know, it's good to get to know some of these people. I did not back down in my questioning and they gave straightforward answers each time. I did learn a lot from different candidates and they really helped me formulate who I would vote for. As an independent, I am always looking for the best candidate and could not care less what the party is.

Speaker 2:

If a candidate did not appear on any of our shows, it is because they never sent in an email and asked to be on it Every show. I ask if you are a candidate and appear on the ballot in Burbank for any office, please send me an email and I will have you on the show. I was not going to beg candidates or chase after them. The fact that some did not inquire or did not care enough to send that email tells me they are out of touch with Burbank or the voters. You can make your own conclusions there.

Speaker 2:

I think most people in Burbank know that we are Burbank's leading news source and Burbank does come to us for what's going on. Our website has 70,000 views a month. We have 80,000 social media followers and our videos here are picking up too. You know we had hundreds of people watching our videos, plus hundreds of people listening to the podcast also, so you know, it only did a candidate good beyond there, you know, and the goal was not to make a candidate look bad. The goal was to ask candidates tough questions. So I think we did that and I'm very, very proud of the work we put into it. We also posted a podcast on the media district-specific plan being presented to the planning commission tonight. That's a very contentious thing. Once again, the full draft is online. I had John and Jenny go through it and I did about a 30 minute podcast talking about it. They probably gave it too good of a positive light in my opinion, but I think it's something that, if you really want to, if you want to know the specific plan in 30 minutes, it's a great podcast to listen to. It's also on the YouTube channel as an audio-only podcast, so give that a listen.

Speaker 2:

Not really much went on last week. It was a quiet week. We like quiet weeks. On Friday night we had Friday Night Lights. They saw Burbank High School beat Hoover 61-22. On the other hand, though, burrows fell to Muir 50-6 in a game they told me was not even that close. So that's too bad. I know that Muir's probably going to win the Pacific League, but Burrows and Brubaker are both in contention for playoff spots, so the big game later this year should really come down and mean something. That's about it. For a quiet week last week. We like quiet weeks, but that's about it. So let's take our commercial break and we're going to be back with you in about 30 seconds.

Speaker 3:

Guests to talk with. We will help you get set up on podcast platforms and start a YouTube channel, and we can edit your productions to make you look and sound your very best. If you are arrested, please drop us an email at studiorentalsatmyburbankcom. That's studiorentalsatmyburbankcom, and we will get back to you.

Speaker 2:

Now back to our show and we will get back to you. Now back to our show. Yes, yes, yes, yes, okay, I get it. I get it. I hear you. Okay, thank you everybody. Thank you once again. Always appreciate it.

Speaker 2:

Gotta fix that applause sign. It keeps going off and people keep applauding. I, what can I tell you? So let's get craig shrewd back with you for the my bruin command center. But some of you say, you know what, enough of the command center. Well, if that's the case, let's go, let's have a, let's go on a ride through burbank. You ready? Okay, put on your seat belts.

Speaker 2:

So today, uh, they're gonna shut down the signals at first and orange grove and that's's between 830 and 330. Today They'll be conducting electrical work, switching signal wiring and installing signal poles at the intersection. They've been doing this all throughout Glen Oaks and everything. So it's just a matter of now getting to that intersection. They'll put stop signs up. Please, obey the stop signs. Obey the stop signs. Slow down, don't run over workers, don't hit other cars. You'll get there, don't worry.

Speaker 2:

Later today the planning board will meet at 6 pm at city hall. They will get a report on the downtown parking plan. They're also and, by the way, the parking plan is a one with the parking meters in in San Fernando. So they're talking about all that right now and they're going to report on it. So they're also getting a presentation on the status of the media district-specific plan. See, I'm actually saying that a lot better now. I'm actually learning how to say that without being a tongue twister. Something you should really watch and watch the presentation by city staff. Something you should really watch and watch the presentation by city staff.

Speaker 2:

As I said before, we have a 30-minute podcast we put on to the platforms and the YouTube channel where John and Jenny broke it all down. It might be a little too nice two at a time, but they still broke it down in 30 minutes to really talk about all the different aspects of it. It's a very complicated document, all the different aspects of it. It's a very complicated document. So, moving on to Tuesday night, we have the city council is going to meet at 6 PM at city hall.

Speaker 2:

On a consent agenda is a $466,000 contract to inform citywide homeless outreach services and security services at city parks and libraries. They're doing that because of all the problems with some homeless people. I'm sure we call homeless challenged battling the home. There are too many politically correct names for it. It's homeless people who need help, simple as that. We're going to spend a lot of money on that, though $600,000 is a lot of money. I really hope they come out and help these people get solutions, not just give them. You know we'll drive you to a center, we'll this, and that these people need permanent help. So that's the problem. So let's hope we can really do something to help them in that kind of a thing, to help them and that kind of you know that kind of a thing. The city council is also going to review the community outreach results regarding a potential rent cap.

Speaker 2:

So you had the meetings. We had numerous meetings where you had city staff. Our city attorney was there. They answered the questions. They answered a lot of questions. They were there. A lot of people showed up to the meetings. We have one of our meetings on the YouTube channel, so we go back and watch one of the meetings and watch the presentation and watch what was said. We even have the questions by the people there. I think you'll find that very interesting. The rent cap is something I think we're going to have to deal with in a while, though We've got two propositions coming up. They're dealing with rent caps. As it is, if those propositions pass, what will that do to the rent caps we're thinking about putting together? So I think we need to kind of watch how the election goes and incorporate the results of that election into what we're going to do. So, once again, no easy answers. We'll find out.

Speaker 2:

Let's move on to Wednesday. Wednesday, the Police Commission will meet at 6 pm at City Hall. They'll get a report about the top three hot spots for crime in Burbank. Let me guess. Must be Walmart, must be Target, must be Costco. Oh wait, that's all called the Empire Center. All those places are part of the Empire Center. It's the Crime Mecca of Burbank. Once again, go to our YouTube channel, look up Crime Mecca. We did an entire video about the crime at the Empire Center. You should take a look at it. It gives you all the stats. It'll tell you year after year. It tells you all the crimes coming from outside the area. It's not coming from inside Burbank, it's coming from outside the area.

Speaker 2:

People who live are coming to Burbank for the crime and they've put in cameras at the Empire Center that read license plates. Okay, they read the license plates there so they know if they've arrested somebody in a car and they had the registration of that car, they know that person's back there again. Now the Empire Center. They've bought over 40 more of these cameras too, and they're going to put them all throughout Burbank. You're talking Buena Vista, you're talking Father's Way, you're talking Magnolia, you're talking Glen Oaks, you're talking all the streets here.

Speaker 2:

They're going to put in these license plate readers, so they're going to see when these bad guys keep coming back to Burbank. We'll have to know who they are. If cars have been caught speeding and we get them on those license plate readers, they're speeding again. We're going to know about it. There's a lot of information. I haven't got into it yet, but there's a lot those cameras are going to tell us. So I think it's something you know. That's a very interesting thing. We'll find out more about the cameras as they get put in, but I know there's a couple cameras at the Empire Center right now that are actually recording license plates.

Speaker 2:

So repeat crime. You're watching. Big Brother is always watching, though. Isn't that the truth? The problem is, we need a substation there now. That's the bottom. We need to put a substation in the Empire Center. We need to have dedicated officers who are there while the center is open and free up these officers from your patrol areas to come in to keep arresting people, so the DA can keep letting them go, so they can keep coming back again and we get the license plate reader and then we go arrest them again, you tell me.

Speaker 2:

So the commission asked for one of the three hot spots of crime. Of course the Empire Center. I'm sure it's the town center also. We always hear a crime going on there. I would like to tell you there's more going on, but we don't hear any more. Will they make any recommendations? I doubt it. They'll just want the report. Oh, thank you very much for the report Moving on.

Speaker 2:

So I doubt it. After that will be the Chief's PR Moment of the Month. That's all that is. It's a PR moment of the month. The Chief talks about how great everything is. Of course, no crime happens in Burbank. We can't air it on the radios because they banned us from listening to them on the radio, and now they put out maybe one or two press releases a month. The last one we got was a couple weeks ago for water and power truck that was stolen, and the last time I saw it was on a freeway going into LA, so they want people in Burbank to be on the lookout for that in LA. That's the last release we got, so I guess no other crime happens in Burbank.

Speaker 2:

Burbank is a great town in the USA. No crime, nothing to see here. Keep moving on. I don't know. It's disappointing when you keep. And I'll tell you what. Every time I hear the word transparency, don't believe it. Do not believe that word. That's the buzzword transparency. I'd like to know what the definition of transparency is in the Marine Police Department, because I'll tell you what. Good luck finding out anything anymore, until it happens to you, of course. Okay, enough of that Moving on, and, by the way, we're going to investigate into the police not investigate, I should say bad word.

Speaker 2:

We're going to talk to the police commission a little more. I'd like to get their chairman on for a podcast and have a great podcast with him and talk about the police commission, what he thinks their role is, what they should be doing. I think it'd be a really interesting podcast. I am going to reach out to him. I had a long talk with him and created a Chevrolet one day Very nice man, and I think he's been elected the chairman of the police commission now three times in a row, so that's unheard of and that means he's they respect him a lot. So I would love to sit down one on one with him and get some information and at least get my views out there and listen to his views. Okay, let's move on to Friday.

Speaker 2:

The Haunted Adventure Laboratory of Lost Souls will finish its run on Friday and Saturday at the Starlight Bowl. But why not next week, as Halloween is over a week away? You had it last weekend, you have it this weekend, but why not the weekend after? I don't get that. Come on Park and Rec. Why not have it before Halloween, the weekend before? That's when you get the buzz going. What can I tell you? Saturday? Here's something interesting the floating pumpkin patch at Verdugo Pool. There'll be Halloween games and activities will be available throughout the event. The activity includes pumpkin harvesting. Advanced registration is required. I think it's like $5. But you gotta register in advance. I guess they need to know how many pumpkins to get or how much chlorine to put in the pool or whatever it's gonna take. I don't know. So, um, it looks like a neat event, so check into that, but advanced registration is required. Sunday we have an event on Sunday.

Speaker 2:

Even Wild Creatures Walk from 1130 to 1230 at Starlight Canyon Nature Center. You can join them on this dust and lead, hike and learn about the Verdugo Mountains and the wildlife that calls the mountains home. Let's hope the hike does not include running into a mountain lion, a cougar, a bear, a coyote, even a raccoon. I mean, what they're going to learn up there I'm not sure, but hopefully they're not going to get themselves in a bad situation. So that's just. It's a strange hike if you're going up there to hike and talk about those things without seeing them. Hopefully you look for their tracks in the dirt. I'm not really sure. Might be interesting. If I had any good knees left I might even go up there and go through it too, just to see what the heck they're talking about. Okay, that leaves us with one thing, and one thing only, and that's Craig's comment.

Speaker 2:

And this week it's about political advertising and who pays for the ads. We're talking about following the money here for the ads. We're talking about follow the money here. We had one of our readers send in a letter to the editor saying he got an ad in the mail for two candidates and it had all this information on there about the crime in Burbank and this in Burbank, that in Burbank, and the flyer had pictures that were not even in Burbank. Now this was done by a PAC. The candidates had nothing to do with this. They had no knowledge of it. The PACs can do whatever they want to do. As long as they register with the state and they put their number on the bottom of the mailer, they can kind of say whatever they want to say and they do without the candidate's permission. I guarantee you the two candidates involved on that mailer, if they were known about it, would not approve that, while their positions are strong on the areas they don't want, just malicious stuff said and that's a problem. These packs, that's probably all this advertising.

Speaker 2:

When you get ads in the mail, look to see who paid for them. If it's not by the candidates himself or herself, then where is it coming from? It's outside interest trying to do things in Burbank for whatever their agenda is. And I guarantee you our candidates don't say, oh boy, you did this for me, I owe you a favor. That's not how they. I know a lot of these people. That's not how they operate. But it's just sad when these outside people have to get into it.

Speaker 2:

And it's going to be. It's going to be a big time election coming up. Wait a second. Wait a second. You know what? I forgot the word of the week. So you know what the word of the week is going to be. It's going to be election. There we go. I love to get the old sound effect for election and of course, what that means is, as the word of the week, send in an email and the subject line put election, and we will give a $25 gift card to one of our listeners. So we always appreciate you listening. Thank you Anyhow, let's get back to the election and to the money.

Speaker 2:

Watch the ads on television. They're even getting trickier and trickier. Now, at the bottom of every ad on television they're supposed to put down who the major funding is for that ad, and some of these are using like the California Apartment Association, or they always make up names, and now the landlords are making up names that sound like the people they're trying to help, which they're not. I don't care which way you vote on these things. I don't care if you're a landlord or a tenant, but you know why is it, we get to elections. If we're trying to be as dishonestly honest as we can be, we're trying to throw things one way or another. We're not just being we're being deceptive. Why why is this allowed? You know, the whole reason of putting the major funding on these things was actually to find out who's sponsoring it. But now they're making up names that I guarantee that name will be on the day after the election on November 6th. They'll be gone. The name's going to be gone, the organization's going to be gone. It's all going to be gone.

Speaker 2:

So follow the money, Read the propositions, read them, ask yourself questions. Is this good or bad? It's your vote. But please, please, please, you must vote. There is no excuse for not voting. When you have a ballot mailed to your house that you have to put a couple little marks into, you must vote. There is no excuse for not voting. When you have a ballot mailed to your house that you have to put a couple little marks into you, put back in an envelope and hand it to your postman. If you can pay your credit card bill every month, you can sure as heck vote. That's all it takes. So I'm a very huge proponent of that. That's the way I do my Burbank. It's why we do all this.

Speaker 2:

I like to be involved in my city government. I like to be involved in what's going on in my city. I've never missed an election. I vote in every single election. Sometimes I vote for community college guys. That's the only guy on the ballot. When you had to go to a polling place and actually do it, I would go. V place and actually do it, I would go.

Speaker 2:

Voting is important, so please vote. That's my biggest thing. So that's it for Craig's comment. As always, we appreciate you. Maybe listing the card on the podcast platforms and we're on 13 podcast platforms besides the YouTube channel too, so some of you watch it. Some of you guys just turn around in the background. Thank you, please consider getting a channel membership. That would really help us a lot. You want to throw a couple dollars towards myBirdBank? That is how you help us. On a monthly basis, it doesn't take a lot out of your pocket. There's three different levels Also subscribe to the channel or like this video. Those are free things to do. They don't cost you anything. They just help us. So we love putting this information out for you. We hope that you enjoy receiving it and that's about it. So that's it for another, the Week that Was and the Week that Will Be. This is Craig Sherwood saying thank you very much and we will talk to you next week.

Speaker 4:

Thank you for watching the latest MyBurbank video. If you have it in your heart, please consider helping us by clicking on the super thanks down below. Or, even better, go to our channel and consider a membership. Your support is what keeps MyBurbank going strong.