NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTS IN HIGH SCHOOLS.

IDEAS TO HELP SOLVE THE OPIOID CRISIS, AND WHO IS BUYING A NEW CAR?

THAT'S NEXT ON IVORY TOWER ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ WELCOME TO IVORY TOWER.

I'M BARBARA FOUGHT FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

JOINING ME TONIGHT ON THE PANEL ARE: TARA ROSS FROM ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE; NINA MOORE FROM COLGATE UNIVERSITY; BEN BAUGHMAN FROM GANNON UNIVERSITY, AND RICK FENNER, FROM UTICA UNIVERSITY IT'S GRADUATION.

AND AT EVERY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY EVENT THIS WEEKEND ATTENDEES WILL HEAR A STATEMENT ACKNOWLEDGING THE ONONDAGA NATION • AND REMINDING PEOPLE THAT THE UNIVERSITY STANDS ON THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS.

BUT HOW DO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS RESPECT NATIVE TRADITIONS?

THE STATE HAS MANDATED SEVERAL OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS DROP THEIR NAMES THAT REFER TO NATIVE AMERICANS.

I WONDER RICK, IS THAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

>> THE EASY ANSWER IS YES.

WE HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT NATIVE AMERICANS FIND MANY OF THESE, YOU KNOW, MASCOTS NAMES, THE CARICATURES, VERY OFFENSIVE.

AND AND DISTRICTS HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THIS WAS COMING.

IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY FIND OTHER MASCOT SLOGANS AND TRADITIONS.

BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU LOOK AND YOU SEE THAT, FOR INSTANCE, IN FLORIDA, THE SEMINOLES HAVE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY THERE AND HAVE ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED AND ENDORSED THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO USE THEIR IMAGE, THEIR LIKENESS, THEIR NAME IN THEIR SPORTING EVENTS.

AND AS MUCH AS SUPPORTING, EVEN WHAT I THINK ARE CARICATURES, YOU KNOW, THE WAR CHANTS AND THE TOMAHAWK CHOPS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS ALLOWED FOR AN EXEMPTION FOR DISTRICTS THAT ENTER INTO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH NATIVE AMERICAN DRIEPS FOR THIS, BUT-- TRIBES FOR THIS BUT I THINK THE TIME HAS COME THAT DISTRICTS ELIMINATE THESE.

>> WHO DECIDES WHAT IS OFFENSIVE?

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE TWO NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS WHO, ONE IS PRO AND WILLING TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON, YOU KNOW, THE CHARACTERIZATION AND OR THE TERMINOLOGY BEING USED.

ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU HAVE ANOTHER GROUP OR YOU HAVE THE CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS SAYING NO, NO, NO, ANY REFERENCE TO NATIVE AMERICANS, YOU KNOW, CAN BE MISLEADING, CAN BE MISUSED SO DON'T USE IT AT ALL.

SO YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM.

THERE CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE ONE NATIVE AMERICAN GROUP, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE SEMINOLES HAVE DONE, HAVE SPECIFICALLY SAID, YES, WE WANT YOU TO USE OUR IMAGE AS MASCOT.

THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER NATIVE AMERICAN GROUP COME ALONG LATER AND SAY NO, NO, IT'S INAPPROPRIATE.

IT REALLY IS HARD.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNS ME IS ARE WE THEN GOING TO GET INTO A CASE WHERE YOU LITERALLY HAVE NATION SHOPPING.

SO OKAY, WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE NATIVE AMERICAN NATION THAT WILL APPROVE THIS FOR US BECAUSE OUR LOCAL NATIVE AMERICAN NATION DOESN'T APPROVE IT FOR US.

>> AGREE, I MEAN WHAT I SEE IS IT IS DEHUMANIZING IN SEVERAL CASES WHERE YOU SEE MASCOTS BEING PUT UP AGAINST ANIMALS OF OTHER MASCOTS.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHIEFS AGAINST YOU KNOW, YOU FILL IN THE BLANK WITH WHATEVER ANIMAL AND YOU HAVE THAT GOING ON AND WHEN YOU SEARCH UP MASCOTS, IT LITERALLY, A LOT OF THEM ARE ANIMALS OR THE INDIANS.

AND SO I DO SEE IT AS DEHUMANIZING AND IT'S A FAIR POINT THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PAST DUE TO BE ADDRESSED.

>> I WONDER IF THIS COULD PROVIDE AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AMIDST PERHAPS THEIR ANGST OF NOT BEING A CERTAIN MASCOT.

BUT COULD, RICK, THIS BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH?

>> CERTAINLY.

AS I SAID, WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE BACKGROUNDS OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS, I THINK, IS CERTAINLY OUT THERE.

ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO MENTION BECAUSE MANY DISTRICTS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE COSTS OF MEETING THESE CHANGES.

AND I'M NOT VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THAT BECAUSE, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KNOWN THAT MANY GROUPS FOUND THESE OFFENSIVE FOR YEARS.

SO DISTRICTS THAT HAVE GONE OUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND BOUGHT UNIFORMS OR PAINTED THEIR SYNTHETIC TURFS WITH THESE IMAGES, SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS WAS COMING DOWN THE PIKE.

THE STATE HAS BEEN LOOKING TORE DISTRICTS TO CHANGE.

AND LET'S BE HONEST.

MANY LOCAL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE AND HAVE CHANGED.

SO FROM THE COST PERSPECTIVE, I'M NOT VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE DISTRICTS SAYING WE CAN'T MEET THIS OR IT'S GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE BY THE YEAR 2025.

>> HOW DO YOU CALCULATE THE COST OF OFFENSIVENESS TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES.

TAR ARC, THIS SEEMS LIKE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE.

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO EMOTIONALLY TIED TO THIS?

>> BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AT THE AGE, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOLS, THAT'S WHERE YOU ARE FORMING THOSE ATTACHMENTS TO AN IMAGE OF YOUR SCHOOL.

AND THAT IS PROMOTED IN PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOU DO, YOU KNOW.

YOUR PEP RALLIES, YOUR BONFIRES, GET OUT THERE AND SUPPORT THE TEAM.

SO YOU BEGIN TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF AT A TIME WHEN YOU ARE FORMING YOURSELF, WITH THAT IMAGE.

AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M JUST GOING TO USE THE TERM WARRIOR.

IF YOU IDENTIFY WITH THE WARRIORS, THEN WHEN YOU ARE OUT THERE ON THAT FIELD, YOU THINK OF YOURSELF AS A WARRIOR AND WHATEVER-- HOPEFULLY A POSITIVE IMAGE-- BUT WHATEVER YOU THINK A WARRIOR IS LIKE.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I THOUGHT ABOUT MY HIGH SCHOOL AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS.

WE WERE LUCKILY THE 59ERS.

AND IN MY HEAD IT WAS SAID WITH PROUD.

I'M A 59ER.

AND YOU CARRY THAT IMAGE WITH YOU FROM THIS POINT ON.

YOU SELF IDENTIFY THAT WAY UNLESS YOU REALLY HAD A BAD TIME IN SCHOOL.

AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON IT'S SO EMOTIONAL.

SO PART OF WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE-- AND IT GETS AT WHAT RICK SAID FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT DIDN'T START MOVING AWAY FROM THESE THINGS-- YOU HAVE FOUR YEARS OF IDENTIFICATION.

AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT YOU TAKE WITH YOU WHEN YOU GRADUATE.

AND SO PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THAT UP BECAUSE TO THEM IT'S LIKE GIVING UP PART OF THAT WHOLE MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL.

>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.

I WAS REALLY DIGGING INTO THAT AS WELL.

I WAS A SPARTAN.

I WAS THINKING WHAT IF I WAS THE CHIEFS, AND HOW WOULD I FEEL ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN I SWITCH THIS THOUGH.

WHAT IF I AM AMERICAN INDIAN AND I WAS A CHIEF AND THAT'S THE CASE THAT CAME FORWARD WAS HE WAS, HIM AND HIS SISTER WERE THE FIRST TWO TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THEY WERE THE CHIEFS AND HE WENT TO THE BOARD AND ASKED FOR THE BOARD TO CHANGE IT.

THE BOARD AGREED BUT THEN THEY HAD TWO PEOPLE THAT WENT ON THE BOARD AND LONG STORY SHORT, HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.

>> LAST THING, MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID WELL WHAT ABOUT THE FIGHTING IRISH, YOU KNOW?

NOTRE DAME USES THAT.

AND TO THAT I WOULD SAY IF 80 TO 90% OF THE IRISH AMERICANS OBJECTED VEHEMENTLY AND THOUGHT IT WAS OFFENSIVE, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT NOTRE DAME WOULD CHANGE THAT.

>> LET ME MOVE US TO OUR NEXT TOPIC.

OPIOID, FENTANYL, XYLAZINE-- WORDS THAT ARE FAIRLY NEW IN OUR VOCABULARY.

AT LEAST IN MY VOCABULARY.

EXPERTS ARE SAYING OPIOIDS ARE A CRISIS SITUATION.

IN JUST ONE WEEKEND IN MARCH, 40 PEOPLE OVERDOSED IN ONONDAGA COUNTY.

AND IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, AS MANY COUNTY RESIDENTS DIED OF OPIOID OVERDOSES AS COVID.

IT'S PRETTY DRAMATIC.

NOW THERE'S MONEY TO WORK ON THIS CRISIS FROM A LEGAL SETTLEMENT WITH LARGE DRUG COMPANIES.

IN TOMPKINS COUNTY A TASK FORCE IS ASKING CITIZENS WHAT'S THE BEST USE OF THE FUNDS IT GETS.

SO, BEN, HOW SHOULD THEY BE SPENDING THEIR MONEY?

>> I THINK THEY NEED TO SPEND IT ON AWARENESS.

YOU HAVE $700,000, WHICH IS NOT ALL THAT MUCH-- IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, FOR ME IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT FOR A WHOLE COMMUNITY IT WON'T STRETCH THAT FAR.

AND I THINK THE COMMUNITIES DON'T REALIZE REALIZE THE EXTENT OF THIS CRISIS AND THE AWARENESS COMPONENT IS UNDERSTANDING THAT FENTANYL, YES, IT'S DEADLY AND THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOW IT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE SEIZED THE AMOUNT OF FENTANYL IN ONE COUNTY THAT CAN KILL THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

THAT'S TRUE.

BUT WHAT THEY DON'T MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE IS THAT IT'S 50 TIMES MORE ADDICTIVE THAN HEROIN ITSELF.

SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE USED TO CUT DRUGS, TO MAKE THEM STRETCH, SO THAT THEY GIVE THIS, YOU KNOW, HELPS GIVE THE FEELING THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GET FROM THAT DRUG, BUT THEN IT MAKES YOU THAT MUCH MORE ADDICTED TO IT.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S USED TO CUT THE DRUGS.

THEY'RE BRINGING THE CUSTOMERS THAT SURVIVE BACK AUTOMATICALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE ADDICTED FIRST TIME.

>> THAT MAKES SENSE.

BUT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS MANY OF THESE OVERDOSES ARE DUE TO UNINTENTIONAL USE OF THE DRUG BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BUYING A DRUG AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT FENTANYL SYNTHETIC OPIOID IS BEING USED.

SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT RUN, IS WE HAVE TO QUOTE UNQUOTE, STOP THE BLEEDING, WHICH MEANS WE NEED TO PROVIDE WAYS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERDOSING.

FORTUNATELY THERE ARE THINGS, NALOXONE, A DRUG THAT CAN COUNTERACT THE IMPACT OF THE PROBLEMS OF OVERDOSE.

THAT NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS, SCHOOLS, I THINK NEED TO HAVE THIS.

BARBARA, I THINK YOU MENTIONED TO US EARLIER THAT THERE IS A VENDING MACHINE TYPE THING OUTSIDE YOUR CHURCH WHERE IT'S AVAILABLE.

WE NEED TO MAKE THOSE TYPE OF THINGS AVAILABLE SO THAT PEOPLE THAT DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS, THERE ARE ALSO TEST STRIPS FOR FENTANYL SO PEOPLE THAT ARE USING A DRUG LIKE HEROIN, THEY CAN TEST IT TO SEE IF IT HAS BEEN LACED WITH THE DRUG.

THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE THE LONG RUN ISSUE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE DATABASE, THE NUMBER OF DEATHS, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, OVERDOSES DUE TO THIS IS JUST INCREDIBLE, AND HEART BREAKING.

SO THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS ADDRESS THAT SYMPTOM FIRST.

>> SPEAKING OF THOSE FENTANYL STRIPS, I WENT TO MY LOCAL LIBRARY AND RIGHT THERE WHERE I WENT TO CHECK OUT MY BOOKS WAS THE TEST STRIPS FOR FENTANYL AND I WENT OH WOW.

I HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE BEFORE.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR THIS MONEY IN WHAT DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE SPENT ON?

>> FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE WITH BOTH OF MY COLLEAGUES.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS ALSO LOOKING AT THE CURRENT DRUG REHAB PROGRAMS AND SEE JUST HOW READY THEY ARE FOR THIS CRISIS.

OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE.

I KNOW MOST PROGRAMS ARE TRYING TO DO WHAT THEY CAN TO ADDRESS IT.

BUT I THINK LOOKING AT WHAT PROGRAMS ALREADY EXIST, SEEING HOW READY THEY ARE, WHAT THEY ARE ALREADY DOING AND THEN BUILD UPON THAT.

AND ALSO BUILD OUT UPON THAT INTO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK THIS MONEY SHOULD BE USED FOR IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REACHING UNDER SERVED COMMUNITIES.

AND ALSO I AGREE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE EDUCATION, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NALOXONE, WHERE TO USE IT, HOW TO USE IT, WHERE TO FIND A VENDING MACHINE.

LIKE YOU SAY, YOU CAN FIND THE TEST STRIP IN YOUR LIBRARY.

THAT EDUCATION, I THINK IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT THE MACHINE IS OUTSIDE YOUR CHURCH.

HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE MACHINE IS OUTSIDE YOUR CHURCH?

SO THAT ALSO IS PART OF THE EDUCATION.

>> YEAH, AND I AGREE WITH BOTH RICK AND TARA, AS FAR AS THE NARCAN SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS IF IT'S NOT ALREADY.

WE ARE DEFINITELY BEHIND IF THEY DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT.

THAT INCLUDES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, VOLUNTARY FIRE DEPARTMENT.

IT IS RELATIVELY CHEAP, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO A LIFE.

THE OTHER COMPONENT THAT TARA BRINGS UP IS THAT REHAB PROGRAMS.

AND PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING BEHIND THOSE BECAUSE THEY SEE THEM AS SERVING JUST THE ADDICT.

BUT WHEN THEY'RE UTILIZED TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEHIND THE ADDICT, AND REALLY HELP THEM GET OUT OF THE WAY AND NOT TO REINFORCE THINGS, NOT TO GIVE THE ABILITY OF THE ADDICT TO CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY PAY FOR THEIR CAR AND THEN THE ADDICT WILL THEN USE THE MONEY INSTEAD, SINCE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO USE IT FOR THE CAR, THEY USE IT FOR MORE DRUGS.

SO THAT IS PART OF THAT EDUCATION PROCESS.

SO BOTH REALLY GOOD POINTS.

>> THE OTHER THING I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING ON THE TOMPKINS COUNTY SURVEY WAS HOW TO HELP STAFF AT THESE REHAB CENTERS SO THEY DON'T BURN OUT.

>> THAT'S A FACT WITH ALL OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

WHEN YOU ARE SEEING DAY IN AND DAY OUT THE WOOFORT THINGS-- THE WORST THINGS THAT YOU CAN SEE, BURNOUT IS INEVITABLE FOR ANY HUMAN BEING.

THERE HAS TO BE PROGRAMS IN PLACE TO HELP MAKE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS MORE RESILIENT AND HAVE THOSE TIME TO RECOVER FROM THINGS.

>> THAT GOES TO THE PROBLEM THAT YOU MENTIONED WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT $700,000.

$700,000, I THINK, CAN GO A LONG WAY IN PROVIDING SOME OF THESE DRUGS IN WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE OVERDOSES IN TERMS OF STAFFING PROBLEMS, $700,000 FOR A COUNTY SUCH AS TOMPKINS IS NO THE GOING TO GO VERY FAR, UNFORTUNATELY.

>> AND CERTAINLY TO WORK ON THE UNDERLYING PROBLEMS THAT ARE LEADING PEOPLE TO USE THESE SUBSTANCES.

LET'S TURN TO TOPIC THREE.

HAVING LIVED SEVERAL YEARS IN DETROIT WHERE CARS ARE KING, I KNOW THAT FREQUENTLY GETTING A NEW CAR IS A REALLY IMPORTANT STATUS SYMBOL FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

I WASN'T SURPRISED TO READ THIS THE INFLATION ISSUES, TO READ THAT FEWER LOW INCOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO BUY NEW CARS.

BUT WHAT DID SURPRISE ME IS THAT AT THE UPPER END --- THE PERCENTAGE OF HIGH INCOME EARNERS GETTING BRAND NEW CARS IS THE LARGEST EVER.

SO, TARA, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

WHY THIS ECONOMIC DIVIDE?

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE AN ECONOMIC DIVIDE BECAUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WAS EMPHASIZED AND RIGHTLY SO, WAS AT THAT TIME PEOPLE SHOULD BE KIND TO THEMSELVES.

AND PEOPLE DIDN'T, AT THAT POINT, WANT SPENDING MONEY ON A LOT OF THINGS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T OUT AND ABOUT.

SO I THINK ONCE THE PANDEMIC WAS OVER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DID WAS REWARD THEMSELVES WITH A BRAND NEW CAR.

SO I THINK THAT WAS PART OF IT.

THE OTHER ISSUE, OF COURSE WAS THE WHOLE MICRO CHIP ISSUE AND THE FACT THAT MICRO CHIPS NEEDED FOR MANY CARS WERE UNAVAILABLE.

SO I THINK WHAT BEGAN HAPPENING WAS PEOPLE WENT OUT VERY QUICKLY, BEGAN BUYING CARS THAT THEY COULD AFFORD AND SO THAT ALLOWED CAR MANUFACTURERS TO THEN, THEY SORT OF HAD A GLUT ON THE MARKET OF THEIR HIGHER END CARS.

THEY BEGAN SELLING MORE AND MORE OF THEM.

AND SO I THINK THEY BEGAN TO REALIZE, OKAY, WE CAN SORT OF RECOUP SOME OF OUR MONEY BY PUSHING SELLING THESE HIGHER END CARS, ADVERTISING THE HIGHER END CARS, AND WE'LL SELL THEM, OF COURSE, TO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEM.

BUT I THINK ONE OTHER THING IS THE FACT THAT CARS ALWAYS HAVE BEEN-- AND YOU ALLUDED TO THIS-- A SIGN OF HOW WELL YOU ARE DOING.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE REALLY EMPHASIZED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS BEEN, YOU NEED THE BIGGER THE BETTER CAR AND THEY HAVE EMPHASIZED IT AND HAVE PUSHED IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE REALLY, REALLY BEEN PUSHING CARS THAT ARE MORE EXPENSIVE.

YOUR SUVS AND UP.

I THINK IT'S ALL OF THAT.

>> I THINK PRICE OVER VOLUME.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE SWITCHED TO WITH INFLATION BEING WHERE IT'S BEEN AT.

AND I THINK WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE IS, EVEN WITH INFLATION MAYBE GOING DOWN AND EASING UP, THAT THEY MIGHT BE GETTING MORE OF A PROFIT.

BUT THE PRICE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE THE PRICES OF CARS COMING BACK DOWN IMMEDIATELY.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SEE THEM RECOVERING THE COFFERS, MAKING MORE MONEY AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL.

BUT I DO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CHIPS, THE INFLATION, LEGITIMATE REASONS OF WHY THE PRICES WENT UP, I DON'T SEE THEM COMING BACK DOWN SOON.

>> LET'S GET THE ECONOMIST VIEW ON THIS.

>> TRULY THIS STARTED OUT WITH THE PANDEMIC.

THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, REALLY CHANGED THE AUTO INDUSTRY IN FIRST BECAUSE THE ASSEMBLY PLANTS WERE CLOSED DOWN HERE.

BUT EVEN WHEN THEY OPENED UP, BECAUSE AS TARA SAID, THE CHIPS CAME IN.

AND THE LESSON THAT THE CAR DEALERS FOUND IS THAT THE OLD WAY OF BUYING A CAR, YOU GO IN, YOU TEST DRIVE A CAR, YOU GO AND YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT MODELS AND OPTIONS AND HAGGLE OVER THE PRICE.

THAT NO LONGER OCCURS.

EVEN TODAY IT'S TOUGH TO FIND A CAR TO TEST DRIVE IF YOU WANT TO BUY ONE.

AND OPTIONS?

YOU TAKE WHAT IS COMING IN.

AND INTERESTINGLY, WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHILE THE NUMBER OF CARS FELL DRAMATICALLY, ABOUT 11 MILLION FEWER CARS BOUGHT IN 2022 THAN 2021, THE PROFITS WENT UP BECAUSE THE PRICE WENT UP BY MORE THAN THE DECLINE.

AND SO AS BEN SAID, PRICE OVER VOLUME.

IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

THE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

BEN, YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T THINK PRICES WERE GOING TO GO DOWN.

CLEARLY I THINK THAT CAR DEALERS, IF THEY HAD THEIR WAY, THEY FIND THIS MUCH BETTER.

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED COMPETITION.

AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO FIND, I THINK, IS THERE ARE MANY, MANY CAR DEALERS NOW IN THE UNITED STATES AND CAR COMPANIES.

AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU ARE EVENTUALLY ARE GOING TO FIND SOON IS SOMEONE IS GOING TO GO, OKAY, WE ARE MAKING A GAZILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, BUT IF WE STARTED TO BE A LITTLE BIT KINDER TO CUSTOMERS AND STARTED TO OFFER LOWER END LEVELS, WE COULD MAYBE MAKE TWO GAZILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

AND ONCE ONE OF THE COMPANIES STARTS TO DO THAT, IT IS GOING TO CREATE A LOT OF PRESSURES ON OTHER CAR COMPANIES TO DO THIS.

SO I'M A LITTLE BIT HOPEFUL.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THOUGH, AND AGAIN, WE TALKED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ABOUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S MOVE TO ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY PUSH UP THE PRICE OF CARS BECAUSE OF SHORTAGES OF SOME OF THE COMPONENTS THAT GO AND CHEMICALS THAT GO INTO THE BATTERIES.

I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DRAGGING THE AUTO INDUSTRY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.

1: EVENTUALLY COMPETITION WILL START TO LOWER PRICES A LITTLE BIT BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO MEET THE GOALS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUT UPWARD PRESSURE ON PRICES.

>> I AGREE WITH RICK TO AN EXTENT.

I THINK WHAT OUR VIEWERS MIGHT BE HEARING IS THAT PRICES ARE GOING TO BE DROPPED, BUT THERE IS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE, NOT A MONOPOLY BUT THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY COMPANIES AND THEY CAN OFFER WHAT RICK IS SAYING, A LOWER COST VEHICLE AS AN OPTION.

SO THEY'RE STILL MAKING THE MONEY.

THEY'RE STILL GETTING THE MONEY BUT THEY'RE ADDING A NEW PRODUCT.

SO IT'S ANOTHER LEAVER.

THE LAST LEAVER THEY'RE GOING TO HIT IS BRINGING THE PRICE DOWN.

>> DEFINITELY.

>> 25% OF THE SALES LAST YEAR WERE FOR CARS OVER $60,000.

THAT'S AMAZING.

WE HAVE TO TURN TO OUR AS AND Fs.

FIRST YOUR F, TARA.

>> ALLEN TEXAS CONGRESSMAN.

CALLING FOR PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO MASS SHOOTINGS WAS NOT ENOUGH.

CONGRESSMAN SELF GAVE AN UNCHRISTIAN LIKE RESPONSE, INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR REGULATION OF ASSAULT WEAPONS.

HE SAID AND I QUOTE "PEOPLE WHO THINK PRAYERS AREN'T CUTTING IT DON'T BELIEVE IN AN ALL MIGHTY GOD WHO IS ABSOLUTELY IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES."

IT SOUNDS LIKE CONGRESSMAN SELF NEEDS TO REMOVE THE LOG FROM HIS EYE.

>> AND BEN.

>> I'M GIVING MY F TO A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO MENTIONED THIS WEEK THAT HE WOULD PARDON ALL THE JANUARY 6 RIOTERS ALONG WITH WHEN HE WAS ASKED, IF ANYBODY HAD VIEWED THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS THAT HE HAD, HIS RESPONSE WAS NOT REALLY.

>> AND WHO WOULD THAT BE, BEN?

>> THAT WOULD BE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

>> AND RICK, HOW ABOUT YOUR F?

>> MY F GOES TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST VIRGINIA BASKETBALL COACH BOB HUGINS CASUALLY USED A HOMOPHOBIC SLUR TWICE IN MOCKING CATHOLICS IN A RADIO INTERVIEW THIS MONDAY.

WEST VIRGINIA PUNISHED HIM BY CUTTING HIS SALARY BY A MILLION DOLLARS FROM 4.15 TO $3.15 MILLION AND HE MUST UNDERGO SENSITIVITY TRAINING.

BUT THEY ONLY SUSPENDED HIM FOR THREE MEANINGLESS GAMES AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT SEASON.

I THINK THE UNIVERSITY APPEARS TO BE CLEARLY PUTTING SUCCESS ON THE BASKETBALL COURT ABOVE THE COMMITMENT TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.

>> TARA, SOMEONE HAS DONE SOMETHING WELL.

DO YOU HAVE AN A.

>> I DO.

AN AUTHOR BY THE NAME OF JOHNSON EKE WROTE A BOOK.

HE HAS BEEN RESEARCHING MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND RECENTLY HE CAME ACROSS THE ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPT OF THE PLAYBOY MAGAZINE INTERVIEW IN WHICH KING ALLEGEDLY CALLED MALCOLM X A DEMAGOGUE ORATOR.

THAT LED THE PUBLIC TO THINK MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND MALCOLM X HAD ANIMOSITY TOWARDS EACH OTHER.

HE FOUND THAT KING WAS COMPLETELY MISQUOTED IF HE EVER SAID IT AT ALL.

SO THIS BASICALLY BRINGS US UP TO DATE WITH MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP.

>> CORRECTING HISTORY.

BEN.

WHO GETS YOUR A.

>> I'M GIVING MY A TO A YOU CAN-BASED COMPANY NAMED BENAMEN USING METHANE POWER, BUT HIS KIDS, THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY, CALL IT THE COW FART TRACTOR.

>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS?

>> THE METHANE FROM COW MANURE, THEY'RE CAPTURING IT ON THE FARM AND USING IT TO POWER THEIR HOUSE, USING IT TO POWER THE TRACTORS AND EVERYTHING ON THE FARM.

AND BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT CAPTURES THE USEABLE GAS NEAR THE TOP OF THE SURFACE AND ALL THE STUFF THAT CONTINUES TO BE WASTE, STAYS AT THE BOTTOM.

>> VERY INTERESTING.

RICK, HOW ABOUT YOUR A.

>> I'M GIVING MY A TO CNN FOR ITS TOWN HALL MEETING WITH DONALD TRUMP.

THEY HAVE BEEN ROUNDLY CRITICIZED, INCLUDING BY MANY OF THEIR OWN RESPECTED JOURNALISTS FOR HOLDING THE TOWN HALL.

WHILE THERE IS IMPROVEMENT FOR THE FORMAT AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, I THINK MODERATE INDEPENDENT SWING VOTERS NEED TO BE REMINDED OF EXACTLY WHAT TRUMP STANDS FOR AND WHAT BETTER WAY THAN BY LISTENING TO THE WORDS COMING STRAIGHT OUT OF HIS MOUTH.

>> BEN, YOU SAW SOME OF THIS, TOO.

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

>> HE WAS TRUMP.

TRUMP DID A GOOD JOB RALLYING HIS SUPPORT AND PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY BEHIND HIM.

I THINK THAT WAS THE TAKEAWAY AND THAT'S WHY HIS TEAM BELIEVES HE WON.

WHAT I SAW WAS OUR SOCIETY NORMALIZING THINGS THAT USED TO NOT BE NORMAL.

AND IT'S SCARY TO THINK THAT IT'S NORMAL FOR YOU TO NOT REALLY SHOW YOUR CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS TO PEOPLE AND THAT YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT OKAY FOR THE RIOTERS THAT STORMED THE CAPITOL.

I THINK THAT'S TROUBLESOME.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.

BUT THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT CNN DEBATE OR OTHER TOPICS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.

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STAY SAFE AND GOOD NIGHT.

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