The jon kiper show

Jon: This episode of the Jon Kiper Show is an interview with our friend Matt Bean, who lives in Claremont, New Hampshire, and has worked in the Claremont, school system. We met him during the last campaign. He was a big supporter, and I'm really happy to do this interview. Here we go. You grew up in Claremont, right?

Matt: Yes, born and raised in Claremont. So when I was in school. The big thing that was going on was that we had to renovate the high school. Because, at that point, 'cause it got renovated in 2014 just after I had graduated, but at that point they had to renovate the high school because the building was so old that we were gonna lose accreditation in the town.

Matt: Like Jon, I can remember being a student at Stevens High School and shaking the walls and walking the, and the walls are shaking, because when I was there it was, the building was so old. So that was the big, stuff thing when I was in school. And we actually had a vote, and to the first renovation when I was in school.

Matt: I think it might've been like 2010 that area, and the public voted down by one vote, so we didn't get the renovation. then, and then they did it in 2014 'cause we were gonna lose the accreditation, which Claremont had lost its accreditation, in the nineties, I think, or in the past that it had happened.

Matt: so that was the big. The thing that was going on when I was in school in Claremont was that Stevens High School, and then it got renovated and the building's in much better shape now. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: but that was the big thing that was going on when I was in school, from what I remember. 

Jon: Yeah. So there wasn't much talk about the Claremont lawsuit and everything like that?

Matt: No. But still, I do remember hearing when that was going on. I do remember hearing a lot of, talk about. How the school doesn't have the prop. Even then the property taxes are, they're too high and like the taxpayers don't have the money to fund the, a new, high school. I remember that talk a lot.

Matt: So I think that. Disconnected with the, obviously I don't remember hearing about the lawsuit until I got more involved in politics as I got older and I got educated about it. but this is, it's always been a fighting in Claremont though, like for, to scrap for education dollars, from the state.

Jon: Yeah. Yeah, totally. Yeah. What was, what was your experience like working there? 

Matt: My experience working in the Claremont School District. so I worked in the Claremont School District for seven years, six years as a para, and one year as a teacher. And, I was president of the professional union for three years.

Matt: and I actually got them, got the paras hooked up with the Teamsters union, because, they, the wages were like, I, think when I started as a para, which was like 2017, the, I was like $12 an hour. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: As, a para. And, so obviously the wages were low. I will say the administration. I was incredibly dysfunctional, and in the Claremont School District and, specifically the SAU, yeah.

Matt: was always incredibly dysfunctional. I think when, just in my time there for seven years, I think I went through four different, three different superintendents. and one interim. So like the, power was always moving and, the quality of people who were taking that post, didn't seem to me that we were getting much from our superintendent or from the SAU at all times.

Matt: So that was I mean it at the same time it was, it's my hometown. I love Claremont. I, still coaching football for Stevens, even though I'm teaching in Windsor, Vermont now. so I, obviously have some, I love the town very deeply and, I, so there was obviously that, component of it, but I was always discouraged.

Matt: By just the leadership specifically from the superintendent's office. 

Jon: Yeah, that's interesting. 'Cause New Market, we built a new school in 2010 'cause our school was also going to be, condemned or whatever by Department of Education. Yeah. they were gonna lose accreditation 'cause there was like asbestos in the ceiling or something.

Jon: It took us forever to get the funding. it took like years of begging the voters and, it kept getting voted down, the different, school, plans. And it's interesting 'cause we also went through a number of different superintendents over the last, 10 or so years. And it was always hard to really understand why they were coming and going because.

Jon: the school board would say, oh, we can't talk about it. It's a, personnel issue, So it just, a lot of speculation for people on the outside saying Is there some certain per, I, I always assume there must be someone that was hard to work with, a principal or something.

Jon: But it was just so hard to really understand the dynamics and like our SAU is just literally the Newmarket High School and the Newmarket High School, Middle School and the Newmarket Elementary School's. it's two schools and we're like, why can't we hang onto a superintendent for more than, a year or two.

Jon: It was, it's really been a mystery, but I always felt, and when we were doing the, process of renovating the school before that, they were also talking about merging with other school districts. and it always just seemed to me that the whole conversation was happening without really any involvement from the state.

Jon: Like they didn't really, 

Matt: I know it's truly unbelievable. To me, and I'm seeing this now in contrast, working in Vermont while they, while they have their own issues they're going through or their own consolidation proposal right now, but, Just the state is just, they're supportive. they have, they, what they have for their funding, it's not based off like property taxes.

Matt: It's a pooling system. Yeah. So like everybody pools their property taxes and regardless of how the consolidation works out, that's just the more. Equitable, way more equitable funding system. Yeah. Than what we have in New Hampshire where it's just based off local property taxes. Yeah. and it sounds like Newmarket has some of the same struggles.

Matt: And I just think, I, with the, going through the Claremont situation, and obviously I'm a taxpayer in Claremont, I live in Claremont, I've been able to take on a different kind of role when trying to like, navigate through these meetings now that I'm not a, employee anymore. It is just astounding that.

Matt: The state thinks that they don't have responsibility for, what's going, what's happening in Claremont, and for state legislature legislators to, be like, yeah, we don't wanna set a precedent, by helping Claremont, I just think what I don't understand, it's part state.

Matt: Like in Vermont, if my school district in Vermont, like this happened, like the state would take it over and fix it and then leave like that. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I just, I, found it pretty incredible. That the state of New Hampshire just thinks that, oh, we don't have a responsibility to help a school district that's literally in a deficit, a giant deficit, and is cutting staff and all this stuff.

Matt: It's quite remarkable. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: In a, not a good way. You know what I mean? 

Jon: Yeah. I think most people don't think about this very much, about how the schools get funded and the fact that, 'cause there's another argument to be made too, that the federal government is not providing enough school funding.

Jon: when you look at the formula. Yes. I think it's, maybe 10 or 20% of the budget. And we have a lot of these unfunded, and you probably know about this, unfunded, mandates with special education that seem like they need funding of their own source. Yeah. And I, I think more people should, question that, especially with the billions that we spend in the military, 

Matt: that 

Jon: yeah, of course we aren't able to, better fund our own schools.

Matt: Yeah. So with and with special education, so all of the laws are provided by the federal government and specifically for special ed. 

Jon: Yeah, '

Matt: cause of the IDEA, the ID now that all being. Just destroyed right now, yeah, by the current. and I'll be upfront about that. Like the, I'm already seeing things like, so I, it's not gonna direct, it's not gonna affect direct staffing like in schools, but what's, what it's gonna affect is, like the people who oversee, IEPs from the federal government and make those regulations and those laws for special.

Matt: which is important to make sure that people have, kids have an adequate education 'cause they're entitled to one. The people to do those that, keep track of, make sure you're doing what you're supposed to do, aren't there anymore, essentially. Yeah. so it's dire, situation because when it comes to special education, they're the ones that make all the rules.

Matt: And if they're, an IEP is a federal document. so yeah, it's pretty, so you're saying pretty crazy, 

Jon: saying no one to enforce the IEPs if, 

Matt: yeah, 

Jon: if a school district is just ignoring it or, 

Matt: a hundred percent, that's exactly what I'm saying, because of 'cause of what's going on at the Department of Education federally, because those are the people who oversee that stuff.

Matt: So have you 

Jon: seen any change in the day-to-day operation of special ed since 

Matt: they 

Jon: took over? 

Matt: not in the school yet. 

Jon: Yeah, 

Matt: maybe. I think Vermont, I'm a little more protected. 

Jon: because they have more 

Matt: state 

Jon: funding 

Matt: or more. Yeah, They have more, they have a lot more state funding. but I do think what I am gonna start seeing is just the spec, the special ed audits and like when they come through, like that's not gonna happen anymore because there's physically nobody doing those jobs anymore because the special education, federal special education, has been.

Jon: Essentially, yeah, 

Matt: which, yeah, so that, that will affect, and I think you'll, it'll take some time. I'm also wondering, like some special ed, Like positions are federal funded. Like not all of them. Like mine's not, 'cause I'm a teacher, so it's, I, am in the, in their, budget. but so it's gonna affect some of the stuff, some of the stuff like that too, like in grants and all that, yeah.

Matt: And like this decision, I don't know if you saw, I gotta speak out on this decision that they made, to consider pretty much all the helping professions as non-professional degrees. Did you see that? 

Jon: I did, I, didn't fully, I don't quite understand. I obviously don't understand the, justification, but I.

Jon: So the implications are that you can't get federal loans for those degrees. Yeah. Is that true? 

Matt: they're, capped. 

Jon: They're capped. Sorry, that's what I meant. 

Matt: Yeah, 

Matt: That's what the, exactly what it means. Not only is it like incredibly insulting for, 'cause I, someone who's gone through those degrees to, to hear that from the federal government, but, the big thing is that it's capped and people who wanna go into nursing or teaching or, they're not gonna get nearly as much help from the federal government as they would.

Matt: Starting in July, so 

Jon: yeah. That's wild. Yeah, I think that pretty quickly we'll start to see the negative, downstream effects of a lot of this stuff, which we're not seeing now. we haven't seen, there hasn't been enough time. 

Jon: For us to see how bad things under Trump, can get.

Jon: And 

Matt: although I do think, we're starting to see a little bit in the economy. 

Jon: Oh yeah, for sure. 

Matt: Definitely. Yeah. And yeah, and, the, ICE stuff. You know what the, what ICE is doing. I, we see that every day, on the, our, and I think, between those two things, I think you, there are some like real world things.

Matt: Oh 

Jon: yeah. I would say more just into education department. Oh 

Matt: yeah, 

Jon: for sure. Stuff that we won't really see that until, it's gonna take a little while for the effects to be fully, for sure. observable, especially with the education funding 'cause. you wonder if, or at least hope that maybe the schools.

Jon: Would find a way to fund these programs anyway. the stuff with the nursing is particularly, I find crazy, just because it's 

Matt: really crazy. 

Jon: We need desperately people in the medical profession with our aging population in New Hampshire. We need more nurses, more LNAs. And you think so? It's funny.

Jon: My son's mother is, an LNA. And she's done some of the certifications to be a little bit to move up, more money and more responsibility. But there's one more certification she wants to do, but it's, for some reason, the only place to do it is like in Nashua, So it's like an hour drive.

Jon: And the funny part is she has to, it's like a, I think it's an, I think she said it's 11 month course, but her, work will pay for it, but she has to. Work, like I think at least two, one hours still, but then go to school full time and then still somehow pay all of her bills. But the stupid thing is this is something that we need, like we need more people.

Jon: Yeah. To go to school for this and and to be more trained in the medical, taking care of elderly people. Understood. So the whole system just seems. pretty broken 

Matt: five years ago when COVID was going on, they were, like we were saying, they were heroes, 

Jon: Yeah, 

Matt: I, I, even me being a teacher in field, but like the nursing, it was like the one that really got me too.

Matt: I was like, nursing, like really, 

Jon: it's so stupid because it's clearly some. Person in the Trump administration, maybe it's even Trump, who literally is like, "Those sound like girl jobs." it's so stupid. Yep, 'cause it's clearly someone who's 

Matt: It's no, 

Jon: oh, all the nurses are women, all the teachers are women, and they shouldn't be considered professionals."

Jon: And it's just like the misogyny is 

Matt: no, that's obvious. That's exactly what I thought, Jon. That's the first thing that I thought. And then I looked at the numbers and it's Okay, so it's 76% women in those jobs. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: And then I just think about how, yeah, it's just what they, it's what Trump believes, they're women.

Matt: Like they shouldn't. The misogyny is unbelievable. Yeah. It really, is. I think it's, it's a couple things. It's the misogyny and they're helping professions, they're not like, Making money. Yeah. Corporate. Yeah. They're not, not, a business degree.

Matt: You a businessman. That's professional. and so I think that's the two things there. And those are mostly men led jobs, men careers, no, that was the first thing I thought of. And then I got the exact percentage, which is 76%, which sounds about right, being someone who's a male in the social services, yeah, realm, But I was like, it's just, these are the jobs that women do and, the misogyny is unbelievable. 

Jon: Yeah, I just looked it up. And, the federal government only provides New Hampshire, it's less than 9% of the education funding. I thought it was actually higher than that because I thought that, 

Matt: I didn't know it was that low.

Jon: There's money coming in some other ways, but, it's, wild. yeah, 'cause my son had Title One help, with reading. when he was in first grade and it helped a lot. His reading got way better. And, it was interesting 'cause we had a little in, introduction to the whole sort of concept at the beginning of the school year, and they said it's the, at least it was probably not anymore, but I think it was like the biggest.

Jon: Social program is standalone social program that the federal government invests in, is Title One reading? 'cause it's just a massive program. Yes. 'cause it's, super, effective. and was for my son. and I think that's the kind of stuff that people don't directly see. they don't think about who funds it, they don't think about how it works.

Jon: And that's where 

Matt: that's federally funded. 

Jon: Yeah. I think that's where we're gonna have some problems. I dunno if you saw this. 

Matt: Absolutely, 

Jon: Mississippi, 

Matt: absolutely correct. 

Jon: Mississippi did a really interesting thing recently where, oh, last five or so years, I'm not sure when they started this, but Mississippi used to be ranked like 44 or 45 out of 50 for education.

Matt: Yep. 

Jon: And they're now 16th, I think, and they did it. It's really interesting. They did it by hyper-focusing. Basically on, on reading comprehension in third and fourth grade. And this is interesting. They basically said if your kid can't read to a certain level by third grade, they're gonna have to repeat the, year.

Jon: Yeah. And they were really strict about it. And it forced the parents to, be more involved 'cause the parents didn't wanna hold the kids back. So they ended up, they only had to hold kids back like the first year. All the parents got the message, worked with their kids to read better. And, I just thought it was interesting because it didn't cost any money.

Jon: They did. There was just a change in the 

Matt: IT philosophy. Totally. Yeah. and I, would agree with something like that, and I I think there's a lot of things that, Happen in school sometimes where, we're just trying to like make everybody happy and not make tough decisions.

Matt: Yeah. Sometimes, Yeah. And sometimes when I've left meetings where I'm just like, yeah, we got through the meeting and we're cool, but So I think, but it, education is important, right? We need to make sure that we make it, having those tough, decis tough conversations and, doing what will benefit the child in the long run to be successful.

Matt: Yeah. That, 

Jon: I know. I, think it's a little, it's, it's not funny, but we're seeing now how vital education is, an in-person education, because of what this sort of experiment we ran during COVID. Because I was very skeptical when they were like, all right, we're gonna, particularly like preschool, or we're gonna do preschool or kindergarten on an iPad.

Jon: I'm like, 

Matt: you can't. This 

Jon: is the worst idea ever. And then you fast forward four or five years, 

Matt: it's worse on, 

Jon: yeah. And it's ironic to me that some of the teachers are like, oh, the kids are obsessed with screens. they're, on screens all the time. It's We spent several years using screens as the only form of education, and this is 

Matt: literally how they were brought up.

Matt: And we trained their brains. That is, what they did. And those, so I did. So I did a, project in college about. and mine was focused on video games, but it's the same type of idea and about how, what it in the brain. And, we, you're right, we totally, the first of all, the remote learning, I think we had to do what we had to do at the time.

Matt: Yeah. But the idea, we didn't 

Jon: know, obviously no one knew what they were doing. Yeah. It was, we're making it up, but we didn't experiment. 

Matt: Yeah, but it, people like thought, but it just didn't, it didn't go well, clearly. Yeah. 

Matt: and it, did, I thought at the time provide a, an example of hey, this is why we need to fund our schools and this is why we need, to value teachers.

Matt: Because what they do really is, it can't be done by a computer. You can't AI it. 

Jon: No. 

Matt: Yeah. yeah. I, can I ask you a question? 

Jon: Sure. 

Matt: I'm really excited about how you've 'cause one of the things that I think the Democrats need to work on in general is messaging. Yeah. I think that their messaging is bad and I 

Jon: think you could argue that's the only thing they need to work on in some ways.

Jon: Yeah. Because it's like the whole thing. 

Matt: Yeah. Messaging and fighting for working people is what I think that, that's what, those are the two big things, I think. 

Jon: even messaging that they are fighting for working people, 

Matt: But I love your message of, community first economics. I just love how you put that, into a concept, And we have trickle down economics, community first economics. what would be, so I didn't, maybe we, you, I'm sure you've, but what would be like on day one, you're the governor. And you want to implement and implement an agenda of community first economics. What's the first thing you do?

Matt: What's the first thing you'd look at? 

Jon: honestly, the first thing I really want to try to tackle is, homelessness. I feel like if you were to make like a hierarchy, great answer, needs for the state and who's, who is in need of the most like, support right now, I would say it's homeless people.

Jon: Children in foster care, any child that is in any way being, in, in. In the state custody through YDC. Or any sort of world, where, I think we've gotta make sure that all those children, because of the YDC abuse cases, we really need to double our efforts in making sure that anyone in state custody, particularly children, are being treated well.

Jon: but then, I really want to get into some creative solutions on homelessness that are practical. little stuff like, not little, but things like. Converting our trade schools to build tiny homes. I think that would be a really great way. 

Matt: Interesting idea.

Matt: I've never heard that idea. 

Jon: That's great. They've, they've done it. they've done it. Some states, they did it in, Aspen, Colorado. and they've done it in Maine with actually the prison system. And having people in prison, study the trades. And while they're studying their trades, they're building tiny homes.

Jon: For, I think in the main program is focusing on veterans, but obviously, a lot of veterans are homeless, but there's a lot of homeless people as well. I would like to really focus on that area because I think that, it's something that people just want to see happen and I want to see it happen.

Jon: And I think that we really just need to get everyone focused on the. On the same goal, and everyone that's working for those goals to be working in. In together. And, then, and I, 

Matt: you wanna go fast? Go alone. If you wanna go far, go together. 

Jon: Yeah, totally. That's a good line. I like that. 

Matt: yeah. Yeah.

Matt: It's one of my favorites. 

Jon: Yeah. And basically, start with obviously like Manchester, Concord, Nashua, where the problem is probably the, yeah, you 

Matt: gotta go most the biggest, yeah, 

Jon: the biggest. and just, whatever we're gonna do, whether it be, convert a hotel, find some old office buildings that we could convert into single room occupancies.

Matt: I love it. 

Jon: And I think, obviously we're gonna need, we're gonna need a lot of different strategies. We're gonna have to try stuff. Stuff's not gonna work. We gotta try something else. We gotta look at what has worked. I think you can look at California and, it's like they threw billions of dollars at the problem and their results were not great.

Jon: It was mixed at best. 

Matt: You just throw money at it. You gotta do it strategically. 

Jon: Yeah, totally. and there's, some complications. People don't quite understand where, there's some people that. I've been homeless for so long that getting them into housing is actually more difficult than you would think, because they're just not comfortable in an apartment setting.

Jon: For sure. Some of them have abandoned that, so for 

Matt: sure. 

Jon: I think we might have to, as a preliminary step, allow some state sanctioned campground areas. I don't see why that is so controversial. 

Matt: I don't see why it is either, 

Jon: having places where someone's living in an RV or their car where they could park and there's.

Jon: services, trash, showers, bathrooms. and then to me it's you work up the hierarchy of needs. and I think, it's, once we get working on the homelessness problem, a big thing I think we'll do first term's legalized cannabis just because. It's low hanging fruit, everybody wants it to happen.

Matt: it's long overdue, 

Jon: behind everybody else. Yeah. So I think, I'm hoping that what we can do is legalize cannabis and use at least some of the revenue there for housing, so that those two work together. Yeah. I know what it's gonna be, and 

Matt: that's one thing. I wish more states, like when a lot of states were legalizing pot, like I, I wish that more states, there was more, we were more strategic in where the revenue went, like where the tax revenue went.

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: And one, one thing I've been, I've seen in some of these states is they're, it's getting sucked up by the corporations. And, I don't, yeah. and I don't, I'm not a fan of that. one thing I did wanted to ask you was, I was a big supporter, so I am like, I'm a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Matt: I'm a, I consider myself a democratic socialist, and I am was a, I a big supporter of, Mom Donny. And, I, one of his ideas that I really is, the community health, it's, I can't remember what his wording was, but what exactly he's called, but it's like the community health, like to pair with police and like for people that are in crisis, like you said, like a social worker or mental health clinician.

Matt: I can't remember what he is calling it, but it's like com, community health, new agency almost. Yeah. I really like that idea. I think, cops should be doing. Cop work, And, not necessarily intervention for people in crisis. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: so I, was wondering if you would support, something like that.

Jon: Yeah. we actually already do that in New Hampshire. and, to a degree, I don't know, how extensive my 

Matt: vision would be expanded, I 

Jon: would, yeah. Yeah. my girlfriend is a therapist, so she's gotten, one of her previous jobs was basically. going out on these emergency calls with the police.

Jon: and a lot of it is forming relationships between the mental health community and the police. Because what ends up happening is once the police know who they're looking out, out for, or like who they're interacting with and what their, I don't want to say default, but what their, what, their symptoms might look like. It's just, it ends up being a much safer situation. I had a neighbor who had, schizophrenia and sometimes he was normally pretty well, medicated and, was living alone, was fine. But there was one time where he was in the backyard like trying to burn some ants.

Jon: And, I, with a gas can right next to a 250 pound propane tank. And I got freaked out and I called the police. I didn't call 911. I just called like the normal, 

Matt: yeah, 

Jon: line. And it was really funny 'cause the dispatcher was like, let me put you through to one of the police on duty. And the police on duty was like, oh yeah, I know who you're talking about.

Jon: we'll go take care of it. But it was like they weren't gonna go in guns blazing because they knew this person and they knew the situation. They knew this person was not really dangerous person just. Sometimes acted irrationally, and that had to do with the fact that police officer, I know, lived in town and was part of the community.

Jon: And I think that is really important, is like, and this is, it goes with the housing crisis too, because a lot of police officers can't afford to live in the towns that they're policing, which then you have this. division, like our chief of police lives right downtown and is walking around a lot with his family and grandchild, and it makes me feel a lot better and that we're in a, community relationship with the police in a way that's, I think just better for everyone because then the police know that they're not like seen as, a threat to people and they're exactly part of the community. literally having coffee with us, I think just is important to like, maintain that sort of relationship. So a hundred percent, I think any, efforts to do that are, good. And I think any ways that we can deescalate, situations with people with mental illness are really, important.

Jon: do you, how many people do you think are part of the DSA? Have you ever been to any of their meetings? 

Matt: So I've been to, not like their national chapter. I've been to the Upper Valley DSA, which is like the one for this. So I've been to a couple meetings there. I have not been, I don't know how many, I could probably look it up and find out, how many members.

Matt: but there's about, maybe 50 people in our, in our, Where we do our planning and stuff. in our group, there's about 50 people in there. do 

Jon: you go to the meetings regularly or is it? 

Matt: I, do what I can. I've been like a couple times. and the ones that I went to, 

Jon: sorry, go on.

Matt: Yeah, no, ones that I went to was very small. 

Jon: And, was it online or in person? 

Matt: It was in person. They do both types of, meet and greets and stuff, and they have a, I'm part of their, I'm part of their, labor shop council. So they have they're like divided based upon, different issues.

Matt: And I, focus on labor and unions and stuff for them. 

Jon: That's cool. 

Jon: yeah. 

Matt: Yeah. I'm also. I talked to a guy from the Industrial World Workers, and talking about doing some external organizing, to try to. Unionized manufacturing because manufacturing workers, all my spare time that I have. but because I think that unions is like one of the biggest mechanisms we have to fight against authoritarianism.

Matt: I don't think. I think all, I don't think the oligarchs are gonna, just give it back to us. They're just gonna keep taking and taking, and I think the unions are the only really, not the only way, but the, biggest mechanism I think, and most effective mechanism to check them as they're trying to take their power.

Matt: Yeah. hold on. I'm trying to figure out how many members of. There are the Democratic Socialists of America. But 

Jon: yeah, I hadn't really thought much, 

Matt: honestly. Dunno, 

Jon: I hadn't really thought much about unions, one way or the other before I got involved in, running for governor. Because, in, in my town, I don't know a lot of people in unions.

Jon: I've had a few friends that were, but generally it's not something we talk about that much. And, And then, when I started running for governor, especially like hanging out in Manchester, there's a lot of people in unions and yeah, I learned a lot about how they function in a way that I just really didn't know growing up.

Jon: it just was not something that we ever really talked about or, 

Jon: you never really understood like exactly what the point was. But then as I've been educated, it's like a huge, point of a huge like pressure point that can be used against these big corporations. 

Matt: Oh yeah. It really is, and they don't like it.

Matt: I, it for me, so my, after I graduated high school, I like worked in manufacturing for four years at, at a salsa factory. And obviously it wasn't unionized, and then. I left that work and I went to education and became a para, and that was my first opportunity to join a union because they have unions in education.

Matt: And and then I eventually took over the union. but just ha, it just seemed like that's where I learned mostly wow, you got somebody if something happens, Yeah. And you need something, then you got somebody to have your, you got a team of people that have your back. and they're just there to make sure people get.

Matt: Paid for their labor adequately. To make sure that people have healthcare and can go to a doctor when they get sick and then can retire with dignity. Yeah. That's really the function of unions. I think there's a lot of, misinformation, that goes around, but, and obviously the people in power, obviously the people in power don't like.

Matt: Yeah. unions, the people benefiting from the system now don't want unions there to change it. Yeah. I'm hardcore about unions, and, my, my education and my experience is only affirm that. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: I just think this is what we have to do in order to fight back against the authoritarianism.

Jon: Totally. 

Matt: Yeah. That we're seeing, that we're seeing. 

Jon: How do, 

Matt: yeah. Go ahead. 

Jon: Sorry. Yeah, go on. 

Matt: No, go ahead. 

Jon: How do you feel, the people of Claremont are feeling, about Republicans right now? What, do you think the, their vibe is? Do you think that they are still feeling pretty, because it was re, it was funny.

Jon: There was a poll recently, St. Anselm's poll. One of the questions on it was. One question was about the economy. Who do you trust more on the economy? And it was, 

Matt: yeah, 

Jon: Republicans by five or 10 points, I can't remember. But then it was like, who do you feel more comfortable with, addressing affordability?

Jon: And it was Democrats by five or 10 points. Yeah. So it's like people are still obviously confused about this subject, considering that. 

Matt: So I think Claremont is. A very divided town politically. It is literally straight down the middle, like left, pro-Trump, anti-Trump. and it can be vital at times.

Matt: Yeah. I think the people, there's people in Claremont that are still firmly in his corner, although I will say, this just said some anecdotal things I've been noticing, like the Trump signs are down. I don't see them. As much as the, and, but when it comes to, we just had a school board, we had an open school board seat and, there was two options.

Matt: One was a former educator, and one was basically a Free State activist. Those are basically the two choices. And, the board was. Dead heat. Three three, tied. And, neither of them ended up getting appointed. The guy, they actually reappointed the guy who resigned from the seat. It was crazy.

Matt: The whole, yeah. Yeah, it happened. It was, absolutely insane. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: because, they just fell to pressure. I, think, and I, so are people in Claremont souring to Trump? I hope so. If I see more evidence, I'll let you know. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: but, like I said, there's definitely, he definitely has deep rooted support in Claremont.

Jon: Yeah. the other question is how much will, if they do. Turn on Trump. How much will they hold Kelly OTT responsible for things in Trump's or, 

Matt: right? 

Jon: Because one funny thing about the governor is that, and people don't really realize this, but the governor has like very little power and can do very well on their own.

Jon: And it's ironic that. I would personally like to do as much as possible as governor and do a lot more, hands-on getting things done with housing, sure, as opposed to like just doing the photo ops. But it is funny to me that I'm doing the 

Matt: photo ops. 

Jon: it's a lot of photo ops if you want, and it just, it's funny to me that I 

Matt: appreciate that, Jon.

Jon: People don't really seem to expect a lot from the governor either. they don't really like. 

Matt: Yeah. And I'll be completely frank and honest with her, with the governor. I think she's honestly one of the most useless governors we've ever had. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: to be completely honest with you, even Sununu, who I didn't like either, but I at least think Sununu tried to do stuff.

Matt: Yeah. tried to do policy. Like she doesn't do anything. Yeah. she's, she doesn't promote policy. She doesn't say what she's for. She doesn't, and then she says, things that like Claremont. School district is going on is, has a $5 million deficit. So she says things, this is a local problem.

Matt: It's no, this is a you problem. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: this is, a cov, you're the governor. This is our 

Jon: problem. This is not. Yeah. 

Matt: I don't know. I think you're right. She's there for the photo ops. She's there for the, she, was a, it was her turn, Yeah. Chris was done. She was next in line.

Matt: I think she's very beatable though. I don't think. I don't think he's gonna, she's gonna be as hard to take down that Chris was, that Sun knew was. I don't think, 

Jon: yeah. 

Matt: I don't, I think, and, I think your approach of, wanting to get, get your hands in there and get dirty, for lack of a better term, and get stuff done will contrast to her.

Matt: You know what I mean? Yeah. Even for people that might not even be on our side. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Matt: Jon, I do. 

Jon: thank Matt. We're, our time is at an end, but I really appreciate chatting with you. This is really good, insight into what's happening in Claremont. We'll chat soon, 

Matt: alright? Alright, sounds good, Jon.

Matt: Thank you. Great talking to you. 

Jon: Yeah, thanks. Bye. 

Matt: Yep.