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listen there’s something I can say about
myself when I first came to the States
in 1990 we were living in a refugee camp
in Germany prior to that Iran there was
a show for whatever reason that’s how I
learned English maybe there was a show
we watched when we’d come home and it
was the Jerry Springer Show and and I
got to tell you we grew up watching that
show as a kid and you stayed here and I
stayed in America not a lot of people
they come over they see the show and
they leave where they’re from but you
know first of all thank you so much for
sitting with us yes and allowing us to
come into your nice little office you
have here so here’s some stats this is
insanity September 30th 1991 first show
27 years I think three thousand eight
hundred and ninety-one episodes is what
I saw maybe higher than that that you’ve
done you see a lot of times the show
works for one year two years five years
six years three decades I don’t know how
many shows have been around for this
longer than a staff at you I read about
from 98 to 99 at the peak of Oprah
Winfrey shows and at the peak of your
show you were number one for sixty-five
weeks in a row so how did this whole
show come about and was it was the plant
from day one hey let’s go talk about
some of the craziest topics to turn into
what it is today no actually the show
started out as a normal torch show and
but this was 1991
and there were like 20 talk shows on the
air and each of us was trying to be like
Oprah appeal to a demographic which at
that time was referred to as middle-aged
housewives so all the shows were like
that and we did that for two or three
years and we were an okay show went
great nothing special just kind of
boring a lot at the time but a normal
show and then Along Came Ricki Lake and
hers was the first show to go after the
kids when I say kids I mean high school
and college age
and I just thought as a business model
why are we trying to compete with Oprah
and be one out of 20 shows and get a
tiny piece of the pie why not go after
Ricky’s audience the young audience and
then just be one out of two and get a
much larger piece smart so the very next
day we decided okay from now on only
young people in the audience young
people on stage young subject matter
well as you know young people are much
more open in their lifestyles much wild
um crazy or whatever so we did that and
every once in a while the show went
crazy not every day but every once in a
while then Universal bored us and when
they bought us they said from now on you
can only do crazy and so we became a
show that was about dysfunctional
personal relationships and then all of a
sudden the show took off white lasted so
long I wear really nice suits that’s
what it is it’s a damn suit yeah there’s
no great know what I think what it is is
we have an itch we’re just so stupid and
so crazy that no one else goes down that
same road and the second reason I think
the show laughs is if you appeal to a
young audience you can last a long time
because every year they’re new young
people suddenly old enough to watch yeah
if you do a show aimed at 30 year olds
by the time they’re 30 – they’re bored
because your tastes don’t change between
30 and 40 and 50 so you you know you run
out of items but if you do a show aimed
at 16 year olds or 18 year olds every
year suddenly there are a whole new
class of peak kids that are suddenly old
enough to watch when mom isn’t home yeah
and to the giggle factor that’s how you
make a show less a myung 30 years so
it’s crazy because the last time I watch
Jerry Springer I was in the army okay
yes the last time I won I was 18 19
years old yes when I was watching and
then after that so neither you were
describing it was a book called blue
ocean strategy that talks about exactly
what you did how you if you got a market
of 20 going to blue ocean we’re not
competing for this big market opened up
a new market and one would Ricki Lake
but let me ask you this you know
sometimes
vorse attorneys or psychologists they
sit there all day long and all they’re
seen as divorces husband and wife
divorce he did this I’m on this I want
the miles I want the house I want the
cars I want the 401k I want this I want
that
and sometimes that bleeds into them how
did you figure out a way to separate
here and all these crazy he cheated on
me it’s his baby you know it’s his I
mean it’s this person’s baby how did you
not like where did you stop it so it
doesn’t come in to your head or did the
madness sometimes continue after work
his walls
well it’s no different for ten years
that was a news anchor well every night
I had stories about crimes war you know
dysfunction and when you’re a news
anchor you don’t say you know what I to
war so I’m not going to report it
anymore I’m opposed to murder so if
there’s a murder I’m not gonna report it
anymore if you’re a judge in a courtroom
a Criminal Court judge you don’t say you
know what I’m so tired of crime don’t
bring me any more crimes that’s your job
so if my job is to host the show about
dysfunctional personal relationships
I can’t think say oh how come you bring
me all these stories that’s what the
show is about if I hosted a show about
basketball every day I would have
basketball players on and no one would
say how come you always bring in
basketball players because that’s what
the show is about so that’s so that’s
why no it doesn’t listen doesn’t yet
doesn’t believe it do you don’t walk go
home and start thinking about the drama
and all this and you find out you’re
disconnected well first of all we don’t
deal with anything serious I’m not
saying that people don’t get angry but
it’s about their girlfriend dating
another guy it’s it’s not like we don’t
do for example we don’t do pregnancy
tests we don’t do who’s the father or
that not that there’s anything wrong
with that and the same daddy other part
yeah not anything wrong with that it’s a
different show but that’s life changing
I just don’t feel comfortable doing any
rich show that’s gonna change someone’s
life so I don’t mind you know the chaos
but it can’t be about really really
serious let me ask you like what are
your friends and family said when you
started do I have no friends yeah well
you got it you got a picture here of a
Barack Obama god bless and you got it
picture here of a Hillary Clinton lover
I was looking really I was looking all
over the place for picture of Bush or
Trump I couldn’t find it here I was it’s
well in fairness look obviously I’m a
liberal
and I’m Democrat etc so you know I have
that worldview bias or whatever you call
it but that’s what I believe and but
even recognizing that there is a
conservative point of view that is a
serious point of view I may disagree
with it in most instances but I can
respect it
I wouldn’t put Bush and Trump in the
same category because Bush even though I
certainly disagreed with what he was
doing in foreign policy he he had a
conservative point of view he had he had
a point of view of substance with Trump
it’s not any particular point of view
and you know he can be the nicest guy in
the world but he doesn’t belong in the
White House you know that’s a serious
job being president you’re certain about
that like that that is a certain belief
there you have that he doesn’t belong in
the White House I don’t think there’s
any question I think even you get people
that support him and they may say oh I
really like this I got a tax break you
know I’m a wealthier person and this is
gonna be good but no one no one says to
their kids I want you to grow up to
behave like Trump you know I want you to
be like that
when you talk to Republicans in private
yeah they’ll kind of roll their eyes
they went oh that’s Trump boy do you
know at least we got the tax break at
least we got the guy we wanted on the
Supreme Court I mean you know 90% of
America doesn’t believe that the single
most important job in the world the most
powerful job in the world President of
the United States of America in America
this is what we get Donald Trump I mean
really how did he get elected go well it
was a crowded field to begin with so
that starts but here’s the thought it
was in a sense inevitable not that we’d
get Donald Trump but that we would get
someone like him and I let me let me see
if I can explain for the last 40 years
ever since Ronald Reagan when Ronald
Reagan said government can’t solve the
problems government is
problem we have raised a generation two
generations of Americans to believe that
government is bad than anything
Washington does it is bad or the state
house is bad that politicians are all
crooked that every television commercial
political commercial you ever see is how
the other guy’s a bum a pervert or a
rapist corrupt he steals your money all
the time every television commercial is
how bad the politicians are and then you
get the politicians saying if I’m
elected I’ll drain the swamp I’ll do
away with wash so we’ve raised people to
believe in this country that government
is horrible so that’s the first thing to
remember the second thing to remember is
America has always elected famous people
to be President relatively famous
throughout our history it used to be the
famous people with generals there were
military heroes because we didn’t have
the mass media that’s what we knew is
who our generals we’re our heroes and
then starting in the late 50s and then
the 60s with John Kennedy all of a
sudden mass media became very powerful
and so we started to move into the area
that people that we’re famous on
television or could do really well on
television they became the well-known
ones
well since Vietnam we don’t have really
well-known military heroes see maybe
Schwarzenegger a senior was know oh I
see what you’re saying yeah the last
person that served was senior right I
don’t know yeah I honor them have served
since him Yeah right but I’m not saying
you necessarily served but he was famous
because of their service okay so we
haven’t had that so the only two areas
in America that you can be famous and
remember we no longer and could look at
politicians because we’ve had 40 years
of hating Washington politicians so the
only two areas where you can be famous
in America are you the sports or
entertainment
well athletes are too young to be
president so we should have seen it
coming
that eventually we would get someone
running for president or being
president who came from the
entertainment field to that be famous
and would be anti-government that
combination is a trump there were that
was worse right I mean it was a SAG you
know he was he was running sag and he
was that was a person he certainly set
the climate for Washington is the
problem
I’ll get government or for your back
limited government the pendulum went too
far in the other direction so all of a
sudden you know whenever people are in
trouble then they want the government
you know you have tornadoes floods
whatever we’re in the government let me
ask you this question here’s the
question and by the way I’m so glad you
took it this way because I wanted to
kind of see where you were gonna take I
had certain questions I wanted to ask
about the show but you’re a smart guy
said much right I have this kind of a
conversation than the show that shows it
on very successful everybody knows the
world knows what the show is all about I
was with Dennis Prager last week I don’t
know if you know then it’s sugar
so obviously know Dennis is on this side
and you’re on this side and here’s a
question I asked Dennis here’s a
question is Dennis and I’m gonna ask you
the same question Pearson what you’re
gonna say my answer will be better as I
said Dennis I said how long have you
believed what you believed today he says
my entire life
I said really to my entire life I said
okay fair enough I grew up on a family
my mother said they were communists my
dad said they were imperialists I lived
in around ten years we escaped your arm
we lived in a refugee camp for two years
so I kind of I kind of saw boats that
one side says rich people are greedy the
other side says poor people are lazy and
I’m kind of trying to figure this thing
out on who’s right if Jerry Springer was
born and maybe I’m curious to know about
your family if Jerry Springer was born
to a father who is hypothetically Bush
Senior bush and Laura okay what would
Jerry be today with his political belief
system so you can’t deny that how you’re
brought up has an obvious effect to that
extent I lost most of my family in the
Holocaust so that the lesson of the
Holocaust losing my grandparents uncles
aunts cousins you know and then mom and
dad just got out literally two and a
half weeks before Hitler
into Poland to start World War two they
got out of the first week in August and
Italy your parents did my parents yeah
but my girl my grandparents uncles aunts
they were all killed and my parents got
to England they couldn’t get a visa to
come to the States
so they just got out though two and a
half weeks before Hitler shut the doors
the gates and no one else could get out
and my sister and I were born in England
then when I was five we came to America
anyway so the Holocaust experience
teaches you above all else I would say
you never ever ever judge people based
on what they are you only judge people
based on what they do so that teaches
you never to be prejudicial never to it
doesn’t matter what country you’re from
it doesn’t matter to me what your
religion is it doesn’t matter what your
skin color is what your ethnicity is you
know it’s that’s irrelevant the question
is how are you behaving as as a person
and America we took seriously the Statue
of Liberty
we were immigrants and parents didn’t
you know where didn’t speak English that
well my mom did my dad didn’t you know
when he first came over and they would
just work as hard as they could so that
Everland my sister and i could go to
college and all that we believed that
the Statue of Liberty meant you could
come to America no one would care if we
were Jewish anymore but it would you
could be anything you wanted to be and
I’m living proof of that because in one
generation my family went from
extermination to this ridiculously
privileged life unlivable show so we
know America works and so when you see
me get angry at a guy like Trump who
wants to replace that Statue of Liberty
with a wall that is so unamerican it is
it is like when Fox News says fair and
balanced like tongue-in-cheek knowing
full well that their whole model was to
be very right-wing and and not be fair
and balanced to be fair the other side
95% is the complete opposite side right
I said I’m just saying no I’m using this
slogan what I want
says America we’re going to make America
great again
yeah it’s tongue-in-cheek because
basically what he’s saying is don’t
worry about that Statue of Liberty we’re
not a multicultural society America will
be primarily white and Christian again
would you know and we all know that’s
what he wants that’s what they’re people
that are wearing those red caps are
thinking they’re not in favor of a more
cultural America I don’t know about all
of them I don’t you know oh sure here’s
here’s that here’s the thing I really
want to go to this because Jerry I mean
again you’ve spoken Harvard you’ve
spoken to Yale you’ve spoken to the
Oxford you’ve spoken all over the place
you you’ve made it to the pinnacle in
your world your pinnacle I mean you went
from 20 competitors you you stay here 27
years that’s like you’re having a big
kid three decades you know there’s not a
lot of people that have done that the
part I want to know is this if your
parents were Bush if your parents were
Reagan if your parents were them would
you have ended up having different
political views than you do today
yourself I have voted left and right
I’ve been a registered Democrat I’ve
been a registered Republican I just said
forget both I’m going on right in the
middle I don’t trust either or whenever
days talk good things about Obama on
MSNBC I go to Fox whenever they talk
good things about Trump I go straight to
MSNBC okay there’s something wrong with
that no I know what I mean is I know it
sounds great
to say that it’s like and a lot of the
media is doing that today actually I get
it because we kind of learned that in
journalism when you grow up is each side
give each side an equal voice well it’s
okay they hear from both sides but you
can’t there’s not moral equivalence I’m
sorry if on one station you’re getting
we can’t have minorities in our country
or we’re gonna ban various religions
from our country and the other side is
saying no we’re multicultural society I
don’t see that as an even discussion
this is America I want to see both
arguments though well we know what that
argument is keep them out it’s a one
sentence argument yeah and that’s some
worry about say I’m not know it isn’t
equal it isn’t equal when you discrim
against people that for example I don’t
find an equal argument I understand
people want to have guns Second
Amendment all of that fine
we’re not going to get all the guns away
in America and maybe we shouldn’t
whatever I understand that but that’s a
separate saying it’s a it’s an equal
discussion about whether we should have
assault weapons that can kill 30 people
in 30 seconds I’m with you on that
okay well but that’s what I’m saying
what is the moral equivalent that the
people that want the assault rifles is
of oil guns or those that can be
converted as such it’s because it’s
their hobby because they can go to a
firing range because they can have
better luck in killing deer if it’s a
hobby I get it but if you want a hoppy
collect stamps on the other side you got
people that are being kids that are
being killed people why do you need an
assault weapon why is that an an equal
argument if you would wanted to do away
with this Second Amendment that boy
that’s not saying that but some would
say for somebody that escaped what’s
your family experience this is exactly
why we have the gun rights so your
family would be saddled in Iran and you
know the first thing you do is you take
away the guns and then you can control
the populace the question I have for you
Jerry I’m really trying to figure this
out in my own life is the following how
do we form our political opinions really
because I have a certain formula that I
think from meeting a lot of successful
people like yourself is I would look
this this became the conversation this
became the conversation was okay
you cannot tell me right are the only
smart enlightenment people who have the
best answers that can’t be right
yeah you cannot tell me left is the most
smartest brilliant and neither party is
right I’ve seen smart people on both
sides I’ve seen idiots and fools on both
sides I’ve seen sure that me but no
one’s arguing but the point I want to
ask you is how do we form our political
opinions you grow up okay you you
develop early your values you know a
value systems what we go into and maybe
in it so you grow up with I would hope
the values you grow up with is to be
fair a sense of justice not to be mean
remember everything your mother told you
in the
third grade share your toys with Johnny
be polite be nice no one ever got in
trouble for being nice okay so you start
with that value system once you
establish the value system which cannot
be compromised then you intellectually
figure out what is the best way to get
things done staying consistent with your
value system so my value system may have
said I’m entering a competitive society
work hard
etc but your value system says try to be
successful in life but don’t steal try
to be successful in life and don’t be
mean you know treat other people as you
want you know your own kids to be
treated it’s it’s not difficult but
there’s too much of compromising basic
decent values which we all agree we
should teach our kids in the third grade
and then tooken it’s not a matter of
sides there is a Democrat for example
that didn’t have those values I wouldn’t
support him so what it’s not a matter of
you just always go with your partner man
I started in politics by going against
Lyndon Johnson because Lyndon Johnson
wanted to continue or build up a war in
Vietnam that made no sense so I got into
politics by challenging working for
Bobby Kennedy to challenge Lyndon
Johnson in the Democratic primary so
I’ve been in situations where Democrats
go against their own why can’t decent
bright intelligent conservative
Republicans who who will tell you
personally there are Trump then when
they get in front of the camera well and
back in the president of the singles
with Hillary there’s some people that
feel the same way about Hillary know me
okay see there’s the but you’re telling
me that everybody on the Left support
not moral equivalent but you may not
have liked that Hillary used the wrong
email system but do you for one second
believe that her values in terms of
raising children treating people when
have you ever seen Hillary Clinton be
anti-muslim anti-black anti-catholic you
think I’m will say in 94 you know when
she made that comment you make now you
know you know what I’m saying on that
it’s not Eve I’m not believe me I am
it’s seriously cuz here’s one he’s run
kids I have three kids okay you want you
would tell your kids to grow up and
behave like you have two choices
children yeah you behave treat women
like Donald Trump say those kind of
things about women you treat them like
that you behave like Donald Trump are
you gonna tell every plenty neither one
of them oh man well you don’t know what
here’s but here’s to me that is do you
remember in the debates when they think
she’s liberal but don’t don’t remember
it do you remember in the debate when
they said say something good about the
other person you remember that you
obviously remember that yeah
and what Trump said she never quits and
what did she say she said good kids
yeah but then Trump said as you know he
didn’t raise his children I know the
calm because he gave the credit to his
wife Ivanka the credit but she was the
one that raised them there now once they
were adult there’s a part of it okay I’m
sorry you just want to believe no I
don’t want to believe believe me knew if
I knew my political belief you wouldn’t
you listened when this whole thing got
started you had a left that was already
funded that Hillary is gonna be the
representation no one gave Bernie irshad
no one gave anybody shot and the right
was funded with 140 million dollars are
Jeb Bush day one you know this I know
this so day one world who think Hillary
would say ban Muslims you think Hillary
would say Mexicans are rapists you would
think about course I don’t you but
that’s like but that’s not her campus
like Carter saying human rights movement
and he didn’t end up becoming the most
successful president he I mean I’m
saying whose success like the point
we’re talking about who is he doesn’t me
ask you this let me ask you this
question you said earlier limited
government small government big
government you’re smart guy educate me
okay I want to learn so here’s a notion
harder than you here’s a question here
for you we have a billion dollars you
and I have a choice
yeah we have a billion dollars okay we
can give this billion dollars to
politicians to try to turn it into three
billion dollars okay
or we can take this billion dollars and
put it in the free marketplace and see
who can do a better job to turn this
into more jobs
okay the billion we have a budget I’m
because this is what I think it comes
out to I think on the social side we may
differ pro-life pro-choice produce Pro
that all that stuff we may differ but I
think fundamentally when it comes to
economics you moved your you’re in
Sanford you know MBC moved over here
Stanford and you got the tax breaks the
thirty percent to twenty percent above
million all this other stuff that comes
there’s a reason to do that in LA
Burbank and you know in Glendale have
certain breaks over others in the
Hollywood there’s there’s you know we
don’t want to pay a lot of taxes hootie
things gonna create more jobs the
government’s gonna create more jobs with
a billion or free enterprise is gonna
create more jobs generally they cut well
let me just say into this I’m sure is
your answer well okay well the yeah
obviously economy has always done better
under democratic president the
Republican so my point is that if you
live in a society not alone but in a
society we all have to rely on each
other ninety nine percent of what we are
we had nothing to do with you didn’t
usually had nothing to do with whether
you’d be born to whom he’d be born with
what kind of brain you would have with
what kind of ever you have nothing to do
yeah it’s a gift I so whenever you get a
gift under any moral culture your job is
to say thank you and the way we say
thank you is to say I’m lucky I have no
more talent than anyone else in this
business and that’s true that’s not
being me being disingenuous I think I’m
a nice guy and I’m reasonably bright but
I’m not talented and I got lucky but
what about the guy that’s picking up the
garbage driving the truck doing the
really heart sweaty work you think that
guy’s not working harder than I am money
would come in here I get my Starbucks
Jenna tells me what I need to do that
day and I go and do it how tough is that
I understand we have a system where I
make the money and the guy driving the
truck doesn’t that’s why we need strong
unions that’s why we need a government
that will provide for those kids that
are born into a family that doesn’t have
those lucky break I was about if that
compare yeah but but the question who’s
gonna get the bigger time Springs but
wait a minute lives for people that’s
why do you think the government’s gonna
fix it or we the people are gonna fix it
we are the government in America are you
are the government’s good so the
government does they so we the people
that are paying a tax
is okay don’t do last question for you
those are dudes that are complaining
about taxes you got it Shawn I can leap
you’re on time cuz she’s signaling me so
I want to keep you on time so to go to
the moon believe me I wish we had 45 or
so not the jury today let’s go back to
Jerry 1990 Jerry yes
okay damn I was good look okay so 1990
Jerry you know you’re coming off of ten
years you know you’re saying anchor you
know since Cincinnati all this stuff
you’re doing you did some politics you
the mayor of Cincinnati for one year you
did some of the stuff prior to that you
know you make some runs for Senate all
these other things you were thinking
about Congress you run earlier okay fair
enough at what point would you say and
I’m hoping I am hoping you don’t give me
the the CNN or Fox answer which is give
me the answer you want to give me and
still not answer the question I’m asking
I’m really hoping to see what you’re
gonna say to this okay at what tax rate
would you say screw you whatever state
you’re living in and move to another
state at what tax rate forces California
right now it’s a fifty seven and a half
percent top line I’m curious to know
what you’re gonna say because you give
you the answer I really want to hear it
I can’t conceive of any realistic tax
rate at my level it is absurd the tax
breaks I get absurd so at what level
would you say above this I think it’s
it’s unfair to pay more than this much
time well obviously but not today Jerry
1990 Jerry Jerry hasn’t yet made a lot
of money in 1990 we have never in my
life in America ever been anywhere close
to a tax rate that would have any
relevance in where I would decide to
live it so never what not ever well I
guess if they catch you 95% well so
you’d be ok if we raise the taxes to 95
percent I I don’t know what life is like
if you you would be then in a totally
common socialist country let me answer
it this way I’m not dodging the question
there is no tax rate that we’ve ever had
in America that has been repressive when
we had a very high tax rate in the 70s
and 80s our economy went through the
roof
this nonsense about boy the taxes are so
they’re high for which people really you
know what who who doesn’t want to be
rich let’s say if you know what are you
complaining about
when rich people complain about taxes I
look at how we’re living and they say we
you know when I go to my friends I I
live around a lot of wealthy people and
when they start complaining about they
say what did you drive here in your
beautiful cars you have these beautiful
homes you have vacations every place
what are you complaining about
isn’t there something in your in your
guilt feelings to say nice my language
to do you think the poor have a better
break than than rich people Jerry that’s
why I asked them he’s gone for a while
I’ve been poor for yeah most of my life
I was poor buddy was it better no
terrible why a terrible exactly the
point
we are whining but I were you’re a rich
person that your tax rate well I’m not
whining about no no I’m not whining
about that here’s what I’m here’s what
I’m concerned about last thoughts here’s
what I’m concerned about what I’m
concerned about is the following say I’m
your son
and say you have two sons yes I want
your sons okay Patrick Springer you’d be
Springer okay but okay Jerry Springer
jr. I’m your son I love you we’re good
friends really we’re at a point I’ve
made you proud you know all this stuff
yeah and we have another one okay our
Father you you’ve worked your tail off
I mean you’ve sacrificed you’ve been
away you’ve been on the road issues
health all but you have busted your tail
and you today are worth 10 million yeah
okay yeah 10 million that you work for
not me I don’t work for that you were
wait a minute let me let me say this
point 10 million that you work for right
I don’t work for it okay I take your
money and I say dad that money you made
I think I want to spend that money six
hundred thousand dollars here three
hundred thousand dollars here eight
hundred thousand dollars here two
hundred thousand dollars one hundred
thousand dollars here with no
accountability I don’t work for it you
work for it this is the challenge this
is where I’m going with this the
challenge I’m going with this on
America has become a very powerful
successful nation at the cost of the
people that came prior to us and I feel
if the generations prior to us as if
you’re my father made all of that money
I think it’s foolish for us to say now
that we have all this money let’s come
up with all these different programs and
let’s give it away for free I feel we’re
taking likes giving it away this is rich
well those lands is the very question
you still didn’t answer my question what
is the question the question was if it’s
taxes what rate would you say I’m not
paying above this I I would say 95% I’d
say hey what are you doing so you would
be okay I don’t know you but I think
exactly what that’s what I’m telling you
my answer not done study laugh or Arthur
Laffer and David and he over it which is
absolutely crazy and wrong and the
trickle-down doesn’t work well you know
because when you know Seiberling will
you give hydrations
when you I don’t care who hide who I’m
just telling you that we the
trickle-down theory has never worked and
the reason it has never worked is if you
give corporations a tremendous tax break
what do they do with it they they give
it to their investors okay
they don’t know one high monetary no one
hires
one more person than they need to ever
you don’t suddenly say I need someone to
mow my lawn and one person could mow the
lawn but you know what I’m there for
kids in the neighborhood I’m gonna hire
five kids to do it and I’ll pay each of
them every company every time every
three months there’s a corporate meeting
to say how can you cut two expenses in
your department every company does
they’ll run a company okay so you do
that so you don’t say you know what we
don’t need this much of a profit I got
an idea let’s go out and hire more
people we don’t need them to do anything
but let’s just hire that’s of course
I’ll do that you don’t think companies
that’s why so my question to you then is
you’re admitting that when you get a
huge tax break you turn it into profits
for your people you don’t suddenly go
out and hire more people that I really
know we have more to do what what do you
mean to do what we have so much more
jobs to create there’s so many ways to
become more
just right now I’ll give you an idea
that when the time for structure would
hire more people why don’t you do that
and do things that we actually need in
this country we need to fix the roads
with the school’s the hospitals the
bridges we need infrastructure there
would be no disrespect the ward it’s the
system worrying about your tax well you
have got some mathematical use it and
it’s like me being irresponsible my
finances well you’re not responsible if
their people left out in this country
that aren’t eating that aren’t going to
decent schools that aren’t getting a
decent life let’s create a better
country in this every country on this
planet is some combination of a little
bit of capitalism and a little bit of
socialism there is a continuum on the
one end of the continuum you have
capitalism and 100% capitalism and then
the other end socialist doesn’t work in
their three country is somewhere in the
mess in China is a little bit of capital
e alright so I’m saying what I’m s move
it over more the taxation should be the
tax rate should be an answer to your
question yeah where the most people in
our country can have a decent life
that’s a fair tax system but if there’s
a tax system which lets me have this
privileged life and other people don’t
have it that’s not a tax system we
should be proud of that is a tax system
that ought to be fixed you really
believe that so you’re saying you would
be okay you’re saying it you really
would be okay with 95 percent I don’t
know what the numbers no no that’s no
because I’m telling you I don’t know
what that number is so my biggest
concern today is we don’t have a Walter
Cronkite we don’t have a guy that I can
look at it’s gonna give me either side
and it’s not gonna have emotionally
attached to one second your politics is
passionate like you said values
principles things that you grew with
there’s certain things that were
attached doesn’t mean that the during
the Walter Cronkite error he would end
every board cast by saying and that’s
the way it is that’s the 23rd day of
December 19 under whatever and but in
truth it wasn’t the way it is it’s the
way one reporter in one location at one
moment in time what that person happened
to see see I believe the journalists
are honest 99% of them are honest they
just don’t tell you the truth and the
difference between that is honest is
because they don’t lie they don’t know
something and then tell you something
else that would be lying but the reason
they don’t always tell you the truth is
because who knows truth okay maybe you
know in your life you grow up to learn
to make judgments you get information
you get it from newspapers you get it
from your kids you get it from your
teachers you get it from the parents you
get it from observations you develop
wisdom and maybe just before your die
God goes like this and some of the you
have truth so we don’t totally know that
back in these 50s 60s 70s and into the
80s we only had three networks and
because television had to be regulated
because you wouldn’t screw up the
signals you had to make sure since they
were only you had to give each network a
bandwidth that meant that all of America
was basically getting their news from
just three television stations he’s in
that social media you didn’t yet have
cable before 1980 so so since there were
only all the country was getting its
news from only three stations you
couldn’t have partisan a blatantly
partisan newscasts it had to be we’re
just telling you what each side says now
once you had cable and once you had
social media you can have thousands of
opinions and that’s where news has kind
of begun so we don’t get the but just
because we had three stations didn’t
mean that everything they were telling
us was God’s truth sure of course
I’m with you there I just I just would
be interesting if we had somebody like
that today by the way Jer I wish we had
way more time because we would have good
manding things and by the way what can
they find your podcast and you got a
podcast and by the way you got a check
out it’s podcast what can they find your
project well thank you I just Google
Jerry Springer podcast it’s a weekly
podcast and I do it at a coffee shop in
Ludlow Kentucky right across the river
from Cincinnati and it’s a folk music
coffee shop so people come in with the
guitars the banjos the fiddles and I do
it with my best
for 45 years we sit there in the coffee
shop it’s ten minutes of comedy
ten minutes of me doing a political rant
which surprises liberal and then we do
10 minutes of music and the music is
creative
yeah a lot it’s creative yeah so give it
a listen Jerry Springer podcast again
Jerry thank you for your time appreciate you
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
listen there’s something I can say about
myself when I first came to the States
in 1990 we were living in a refugee camp
in Germany prior to that Iran there was
a show for whatever reason that’s how I
learned English maybe there was a show
we watched when we’d come home and it
was the Jerry Springer Show and and I
got to tell you we grew up watching that
show as a kid and you stayed here and I
stayed in America not a lot of people
they come over they see the show and
they leave where they’re from but you
know first of all thank you so much for
sitting with us yes and allowing us to
come into your nice little office you
have here so here’s some stats this is
insanity September 30th 1991 first show
27 years I think three thousand eight
hundred and ninety-one episodes is what
I saw maybe higher than that that you’ve
done you see a lot of times the show
works for one year two years five years
six years three decades I don’t know how
many shows have been around for this
longer than a staff at you I read about
from 98 to 99 at the peak of Oprah
Winfrey shows and at the peak of your
show you were number one for sixty-five
weeks in a row so how did this whole
show come about and was it was the plant
from day one hey let’s go talk about
some of the craziest topics to turn into
what it is today no actually the show
started out as a normal torch show and
but this was 1991
and there were like 20 talk shows on the
air and each of us was trying to be like
Oprah appeal to a demographic which at
that time was referred to as middle-aged
housewives so all the shows were like
that and we did that for two or three
years and we were an okay show went
great nothing special just kind of
boring a lot at the time but a normal
show and then Along Came Ricki Lake and
hers was the first show to go after the
kids when I say kids I mean high school
and college age
and I just thought as a business model
why are we trying to compete with Oprah
and be one out of 20 shows and get a
tiny piece of the pie why not go after
Ricky’s audience the young audience and
then just be one out of two and get a
much larger piece smart so the very next
day we decided okay from now on only
young people in the audience young
people on stage young subject matter
well as you know young people are much
more open in their lifestyles much wild
um crazy or whatever so we did that and
every once in a while the show went
crazy not every day but every once in a
while then Universal bored us and when
they bought us they said from now on you
can only do crazy and so we became a
show that was about dysfunctional
personal relationships and then all of a
sudden the show took off white lasted so
long I wear really nice suits that’s
what it is it’s a damn suit yeah there’s
no great know what I think what it is is
we have an itch we’re just so stupid and
so crazy that no one else goes down that
same road and the second reason I think
the show laughs is if you appeal to a
young audience you can last a long time
because every year they’re new young
people suddenly old enough to watch yeah
if you do a show aimed at 30 year olds
by the time they’re 30 – they’re bored
because your tastes don’t change between
30 and 40 and 50 so you you know you run
out of items but if you do a show aimed
at 16 year olds or 18 year olds every
year suddenly there are a whole new
class of peak kids that are suddenly old
enough to watch when mom isn’t home yeah
and to the giggle factor that’s how you
make a show less a myung 30 years so
it’s crazy because the last time I watch
Jerry Springer I was in the army okay
yes the last time I won I was 18 19
years old yes when I was watching and
then after that so neither you were
describing it was a book called blue
ocean strategy that talks about exactly
what you did how you if you got a market
of 20 going to blue ocean we’re not
competing for this big market opened up
a new market and one would Ricki Lake
but let me ask you this you know
sometimes
vorse attorneys or psychologists they
sit there all day long and all they’re
seen as divorces husband and wife
divorce he did this I’m on this I want
the miles I want the house I want the
cars I want the 401k I want this I want
that
and sometimes that bleeds into them how
did you figure out a way to separate
here and all these crazy he cheated on
me it’s his baby you know it’s his I
mean it’s this person’s baby how did you
not like where did you stop it so it
doesn’t come in to your head or did the
madness sometimes continue after work
his walls
well it’s no different for ten years
that was a news anchor well every night
I had stories about crimes war you know
dysfunction and when you’re a news
anchor you don’t say you know what I to
war so I’m not going to report it
anymore I’m opposed to murder so if
there’s a murder I’m not gonna report it
anymore if you’re a judge in a courtroom
a Criminal Court judge you don’t say you
know what I’m so tired of crime don’t
bring me any more crimes that’s your job
so if my job is to host the show about
dysfunctional personal relationships
I can’t think say oh how come you bring
me all these stories that’s what the
show is about if I hosted a show about
basketball every day I would have
basketball players on and no one would
say how come you always bring in
basketball players because that’s what
the show is about so that’s so that’s
why no it doesn’t listen doesn’t yet
doesn’t believe it do you don’t walk go
home and start thinking about the drama
and all this and you find out you’re
disconnected well first of all we don’t
deal with anything serious I’m not
saying that people don’t get angry but
it’s about their girlfriend dating
another guy it’s it’s not like we don’t
do for example we don’t do pregnancy
tests we don’t do who’s the father or
that not that there’s anything wrong
with that and the same daddy other part
yeah not anything wrong with that it’s a
different show but that’s life changing
I just don’t feel comfortable doing any
rich show that’s gonna change someone’s
life so I don’t mind you know the chaos
but it can’t be about really really
serious let me ask you like what are
your friends and family said when you
started do I have no friends yeah well
you got it you got a picture here of a
Barack Obama god bless and you got it
picture here of a Hillary Clinton lover
I was looking really I was looking all
over the place for picture of Bush or
Trump I couldn’t find it here I was it’s
well in fairness look obviously I’m a
liberal
and I’m Democrat etc so you know I have
that worldview bias or whatever you call
it but that’s what I believe and but
even recognizing that there is a
conservative point of view that is a
serious point of view I may disagree
with it in most instances but I can
respect it
I wouldn’t put Bush and Trump in the
same category because Bush even though I
certainly disagreed with what he was
doing in foreign policy he he had a
conservative point of view he had he had
a point of view of substance with Trump
it’s not any particular point of view
and you know he can be the nicest guy in
the world but he doesn’t belong in the
White House you know that’s a serious
job being president you’re certain about
that like that that is a certain belief
there you have that he doesn’t belong in
the White House I don’t think there’s
any question I think even you get people
that support him and they may say oh I
really like this I got a tax break you
know I’m a wealthier person and this is
gonna be good but no one no one says to
their kids I want you to grow up to
behave like Trump you know I want you to
be like that
when you talk to Republicans in private
yeah they’ll kind of roll their eyes
they went oh that’s Trump boy do you
know at least we got the tax break at
least we got the guy we wanted on the
Supreme Court I mean you know 90% of
America doesn’t believe that the single
most important job in the world the most
powerful job in the world President of
the United States of America in America
this is what we get Donald Trump I mean
really how did he get elected go well it
was a crowded field to begin with so
that starts but here’s the thought it
was in a sense inevitable not that we’d
get Donald Trump but that we would get
someone like him and I let me let me see
if I can explain for the last 40 years
ever since Ronald Reagan when Ronald
Reagan said government can’t solve the
problems government is
problem we have raised a generation two
generations of Americans to believe that
government is bad than anything
Washington does it is bad or the state
house is bad that politicians are all
crooked that every television commercial
political commercial you ever see is how
the other guy’s a bum a pervert or a
rapist corrupt he steals your money all
the time every television commercial is
how bad the politicians are and then you
get the politicians saying if I’m
elected I’ll drain the swamp I’ll do
away with wash so we’ve raised people to
believe in this country that government
is horrible so that’s the first thing to
remember the second thing to remember is
America has always elected famous people
to be President relatively famous
throughout our history it used to be the
famous people with generals there were
military heroes because we didn’t have
the mass media that’s what we knew is
who our generals we’re our heroes and
then starting in the late 50s and then
the 60s with John Kennedy all of a
sudden mass media became very powerful
and so we started to move into the area
that people that we’re famous on
television or could do really well on
television they became the well-known
ones
well since Vietnam we don’t have really
well-known military heroes see maybe
Schwarzenegger a senior was know oh I
see what you’re saying yeah the last
person that served was senior right I
don’t know yeah I honor them have served
since him Yeah right but I’m not saying
you necessarily served but he was famous
because of their service okay so we
haven’t had that so the only two areas
in America that you can be famous and
remember we no longer and could look at
politicians because we’ve had 40 years
of hating Washington politicians so the
only two areas where you can be famous
in America are you the sports or
entertainment
well athletes are too young to be
president so we should have seen it
coming
that eventually we would get someone
running for president or being
president who came from the
entertainment field to that be famous
and would be anti-government that
combination is a trump there were that
was worse right I mean it was a SAG you
know he was he was running sag and he
was that was a person he certainly set
the climate for Washington is the
problem
I’ll get government or for your back
limited government the pendulum went too
far in the other direction so all of a
sudden you know whenever people are in
trouble then they want the government
you know you have tornadoes floods
whatever we’re in the government let me
ask you this question here’s the
question and by the way I’m so glad you
took it this way because I wanted to
kind of see where you were gonna take I
had certain questions I wanted to ask
about the show but you’re a smart guy
said much right I have this kind of a
conversation than the show that shows it
on very successful everybody knows the
world knows what the show is all about I
was with Dennis Prager last week I don’t
know if you know then it’s sugar
so obviously know Dennis is on this side
and you’re on this side and here’s a
question I asked Dennis here’s a
question is Dennis and I’m gonna ask you
the same question Pearson what you’re
gonna say my answer will be better as I
said Dennis I said how long have you
believed what you believed today he says
my entire life
I said really to my entire life I said
okay fair enough I grew up on a family
my mother said they were communists my
dad said they were imperialists I lived
in around ten years we escaped your arm
we lived in a refugee camp for two years
so I kind of I kind of saw boats that
one side says rich people are greedy the
other side says poor people are lazy and
I’m kind of trying to figure this thing
out on who’s right if Jerry Springer was
born and maybe I’m curious to know about
your family if Jerry Springer was born
to a father who is hypothetically Bush
Senior bush and Laura okay what would
Jerry be today with his political belief
system so you can’t deny that how you’re
brought up has an obvious effect to that
extent I lost most of my family in the
Holocaust so that the lesson of the
Holocaust losing my grandparents uncles
aunts cousins you know and then mom and
dad just got out literally two and a
half weeks before Hitler
into Poland to start World War two they
got out of the first week in August and
Italy your parents did my parents yeah
but my girl my grandparents uncles aunts
they were all killed and my parents got
to England they couldn’t get a visa to
come to the States
so they just got out though two and a
half weeks before Hitler shut the doors
the gates and no one else could get out
and my sister and I were born in England
then when I was five we came to America
anyway so the Holocaust experience
teaches you above all else I would say
you never ever ever judge people based
on what they are you only judge people
based on what they do so that teaches
you never to be prejudicial never to it
doesn’t matter what country you’re from
it doesn’t matter to me what your
religion is it doesn’t matter what your
skin color is what your ethnicity is you
know it’s that’s irrelevant the question
is how are you behaving as as a person
and America we took seriously the Statue
of Liberty
we were immigrants and parents didn’t
you know where didn’t speak English that
well my mom did my dad didn’t you know
when he first came over and they would
just work as hard as they could so that
Everland my sister and i could go to
college and all that we believed that
the Statue of Liberty meant you could
come to America no one would care if we
were Jewish anymore but it would you
could be anything you wanted to be and
I’m living proof of that because in one
generation my family went from
extermination to this ridiculously
privileged life unlivable show so we
know America works and so when you see
me get angry at a guy like Trump who
wants to replace that Statue of Liberty
with a wall that is so unamerican it is
it is like when Fox News says fair and
balanced like tongue-in-cheek knowing
full well that their whole model was to
be very right-wing and and not be fair
and balanced to be fair the other side
95% is the complete opposite side right
I said I’m just saying no I’m using this
slogan what I want
says America we’re going to make America
great again
yeah it’s tongue-in-cheek because
basically what he’s saying is don’t
worry about that Statue of Liberty we’re
not a multicultural society America will
be primarily white and Christian again
would you know and we all know that’s
what he wants that’s what they’re people
that are wearing those red caps are
thinking they’re not in favor of a more
cultural America I don’t know about all
of them I don’t you know oh sure here’s
here’s that here’s the thing I really
want to go to this because Jerry I mean
again you’ve spoken Harvard you’ve
spoken to Yale you’ve spoken to the
Oxford you’ve spoken all over the place
you you’ve made it to the pinnacle in
your world your pinnacle I mean you went
from 20 competitors you you stay here 27
years that’s like you’re having a big
kid three decades you know there’s not a
lot of people that have done that the
part I want to know is this if your
parents were Bush if your parents were
Reagan if your parents were them would
you have ended up having different
political views than you do today
yourself I have voted left and right
I’ve been a registered Democrat I’ve
been a registered Republican I just said
forget both I’m going on right in the
middle I don’t trust either or whenever
days talk good things about Obama on
MSNBC I go to Fox whenever they talk
good things about Trump I go straight to
MSNBC okay there’s something wrong with
that no I know what I mean is I know it
sounds great
to say that it’s like and a lot of the
media is doing that today actually I get
it because we kind of learned that in
journalism when you grow up is each side
give each side an equal voice well it’s
okay they hear from both sides but you
can’t there’s not moral equivalence I’m
sorry if on one station you’re getting
we can’t have minorities in our country
or we’re gonna ban various religions
from our country and the other side is
saying no we’re multicultural society I
don’t see that as an even discussion
this is America I want to see both
arguments though well we know what that
argument is keep them out it’s a one
sentence argument yeah and that’s some
worry about say I’m not know it isn’t
equal it isn’t equal when you discrim
against people that for example I don’t
find an equal argument I understand
people want to have guns Second
Amendment all of that fine
we’re not going to get all the guns away
in America and maybe we shouldn’t
whatever I understand that but that’s a
separate saying it’s a it’s an equal
discussion about whether we should have
assault weapons that can kill 30 people
in 30 seconds I’m with you on that
okay well but that’s what I’m saying
what is the moral equivalent that the
people that want the assault rifles is
of oil guns or those that can be
converted as such it’s because it’s
their hobby because they can go to a
firing range because they can have
better luck in killing deer if it’s a
hobby I get it but if you want a hoppy
collect stamps on the other side you got
people that are being kids that are
being killed people why do you need an
assault weapon why is that an an equal
argument if you would wanted to do away
with this Second Amendment that boy
that’s not saying that but some would
say for somebody that escaped what’s
your family experience this is exactly
why we have the gun rights so your
family would be saddled in Iran and you
know the first thing you do is you take
away the guns and then you can control
the populace the question I have for you
Jerry I’m really trying to figure this
out in my own life is the following how
do we form our political opinions really
because I have a certain formula that I
think from meeting a lot of successful
people like yourself is I would look
this this became the conversation this
became the conversation was okay
you cannot tell me right are the only
smart enlightenment people who have the
best answers that can’t be right
yeah you cannot tell me left is the most
smartest brilliant and neither party is
right I’ve seen smart people on both
sides I’ve seen idiots and fools on both
sides I’ve seen sure that me but no
one’s arguing but the point I want to
ask you is how do we form our political
opinions you grow up okay you you
develop early your values you know a
value systems what we go into and maybe
in it so you grow up with I would hope
the values you grow up with is to be
fair a sense of justice not to be mean
remember everything your mother told you
in the
third grade share your toys with Johnny
be polite be nice no one ever got in
trouble for being nice okay so you start
with that value system once you
establish the value system which cannot
be compromised then you intellectually
figure out what is the best way to get
things done staying consistent with your
value system so my value system may have
said I’m entering a competitive society
work hard
etc but your value system says try to be
successful in life but don’t steal try
to be successful in life and don’t be
mean you know treat other people as you
want you know your own kids to be
treated it’s it’s not difficult but
there’s too much of compromising basic
decent values which we all agree we
should teach our kids in the third grade
and then tooken it’s not a matter of
sides there is a Democrat for example
that didn’t have those values I wouldn’t
support him so what it’s not a matter of
you just always go with your partner man
I started in politics by going against
Lyndon Johnson because Lyndon Johnson
wanted to continue or build up a war in
Vietnam that made no sense so I got into
politics by challenging working for
Bobby Kennedy to challenge Lyndon
Johnson in the Democratic primary so
I’ve been in situations where Democrats
go against their own why can’t decent
bright intelligent conservative
Republicans who who will tell you
personally there are Trump then when
they get in front of the camera well and
back in the president of the singles
with Hillary there’s some people that
feel the same way about Hillary know me
okay see there’s the but you’re telling
me that everybody on the Left support
not moral equivalent but you may not
have liked that Hillary used the wrong
email system but do you for one second
believe that her values in terms of
raising children treating people when
have you ever seen Hillary Clinton be
anti-muslim anti-black anti-catholic you
think I’m will say in 94 you know when
she made that comment you make now you
know you know what I’m saying on that
it’s not Eve I’m not believe me I am
it’s seriously cuz here’s one he’s run
kids I have three kids okay you want you
would tell your kids to grow up and
behave like you have two choices
children yeah you behave treat women
like Donald Trump say those kind of
things about women you treat them like
that you behave like Donald Trump are
you gonna tell every plenty neither one
of them oh man well you don’t know what
here’s but here’s to me that is do you
remember in the debates when they think
she’s liberal but don’t don’t remember
it do you remember in the debate when
they said say something good about the
other person you remember that you
obviously remember that yeah
and what Trump said she never quits and
what did she say she said good kids
yeah but then Trump said as you know he
didn’t raise his children I know the
calm because he gave the credit to his
wife Ivanka the credit but she was the
one that raised them there now once they
were adult there’s a part of it okay I’m
sorry you just want to believe no I
don’t want to believe believe me knew if
I knew my political belief you wouldn’t
you listened when this whole thing got
started you had a left that was already
funded that Hillary is gonna be the
representation no one gave Bernie irshad
no one gave anybody shot and the right
was funded with 140 million dollars are
Jeb Bush day one you know this I know
this so day one world who think Hillary
would say ban Muslims you think Hillary
would say Mexicans are rapists you would
think about course I don’t you but
that’s like but that’s not her campus
like Carter saying human rights movement
and he didn’t end up becoming the most
successful president he I mean I’m
saying whose success like the point
we’re talking about who is he doesn’t me
ask you this let me ask you this
question you said earlier limited
government small government big
government you’re smart guy educate me
okay I want to learn so here’s a notion
harder than you here’s a question here
for you we have a billion dollars you
and I have a choice
yeah we have a billion dollars okay we
can give this billion dollars to
politicians to try to turn it into three
billion dollars okay
or we can take this billion dollars and
put it in the free marketplace and see
who can do a better job to turn this
into more jobs
okay the billion we have a budget I’m
because this is what I think it comes
out to I think on the social side we may
differ pro-life pro-choice produce Pro
that all that stuff we may differ but I
think fundamentally when it comes to
economics you moved your you’re in
Sanford you know MBC moved over here
Stanford and you got the tax breaks the
thirty percent to twenty percent above
million all this other stuff that comes
there’s a reason to do that in LA
Burbank and you know in Glendale have
certain breaks over others in the
Hollywood there’s there’s you know we
don’t want to pay a lot of taxes hootie
things gonna create more jobs the
government’s gonna create more jobs with
a billion or free enterprise is gonna
create more jobs generally they cut well
let me just say into this I’m sure is
your answer well okay well the yeah
obviously economy has always done better
under democratic president the
Republican so my point is that if you
live in a society not alone but in a
society we all have to rely on each
other ninety nine percent of what we are
we had nothing to do with you didn’t
usually had nothing to do with whether
you’d be born to whom he’d be born with
what kind of brain you would have with
what kind of ever you have nothing to do
yeah it’s a gift I so whenever you get a
gift under any moral culture your job is
to say thank you and the way we say
thank you is to say I’m lucky I have no
more talent than anyone else in this
business and that’s true that’s not
being me being disingenuous I think I’m
a nice guy and I’m reasonably bright but
I’m not talented and I got lucky but
what about the guy that’s picking up the
garbage driving the truck doing the
really heart sweaty work you think that
guy’s not working harder than I am money
would come in here I get my Starbucks
Jenna tells me what I need to do that
day and I go and do it how tough is that
I understand we have a system where I
make the money and the guy driving the
truck doesn’t that’s why we need strong
unions that’s why we need a government
that will provide for those kids that
are born into a family that doesn’t have
those lucky break I was about if that
compare yeah but but the question who’s
gonna get the bigger time Springs but
wait a minute lives for people that’s
why do you think the government’s gonna
fix it or we the people are gonna fix it
we are the government in America are you
are the government’s good so the
government does they so we the people
that are paying a tax
is okay don’t do last question for you
those are dudes that are complaining
about taxes you got it Shawn I can leap
you’re on time cuz she’s signaling me so
I want to keep you on time so to go to
the moon believe me I wish we had 45 or
so not the jury today let’s go back to
Jerry 1990 Jerry yes
okay damn I was good look okay so 1990
Jerry you know you’re coming off of ten
years you know you’re saying anchor you
know since Cincinnati all this stuff
you’re doing you did some politics you
the mayor of Cincinnati for one year you
did some of the stuff prior to that you
know you make some runs for Senate all
these other things you were thinking
about Congress you run earlier okay fair
enough at what point would you say and
I’m hoping I am hoping you don’t give me
the the CNN or Fox answer which is give
me the answer you want to give me and
still not answer the question I’m asking
I’m really hoping to see what you’re
gonna say to this okay at what tax rate
would you say screw you whatever state
you’re living in and move to another
state at what tax rate forces California
right now it’s a fifty seven and a half
percent top line I’m curious to know
what you’re gonna say because you give
you the answer I really want to hear it
I can’t conceive of any realistic tax
rate at my level it is absurd the tax
breaks I get absurd so at what level
would you say above this I think it’s
it’s unfair to pay more than this much
time well obviously but not today Jerry
1990 Jerry Jerry hasn’t yet made a lot
of money in 1990 we have never in my
life in America ever been anywhere close
to a tax rate that would have any
relevance in where I would decide to
live it so never what not ever well I
guess if they catch you 95% well so
you’d be ok if we raise the taxes to 95
percent I I don’t know what life is like
if you you would be then in a totally
common socialist country let me answer
it this way I’m not dodging the question
there is no tax rate that we’ve ever had
in America that has been repressive when
we had a very high tax rate in the 70s
and 80s our economy went through the
roof
this nonsense about boy the taxes are so
they’re high for which people really you
know what who who doesn’t want to be
rich let’s say if you know what are you
complaining about
when rich people complain about taxes I
look at how we’re living and they say we
you know when I go to my friends I I
live around a lot of wealthy people and
when they start complaining about they
say what did you drive here in your
beautiful cars you have these beautiful
homes you have vacations every place
what are you complaining about
isn’t there something in your in your
guilt feelings to say nice my language
to do you think the poor have a better
break than than rich people Jerry that’s
why I asked them he’s gone for a while
I’ve been poor for yeah most of my life
I was poor buddy was it better no
terrible why a terrible exactly the
point
we are whining but I were you’re a rich
person that your tax rate well I’m not
whining about no no I’m not whining
about that here’s what I’m here’s what
I’m concerned about last thoughts here’s
what I’m concerned about what I’m
concerned about is the following say I’m
your son
and say you have two sons yes I want
your sons okay Patrick Springer you’d be
Springer okay but okay Jerry Springer
jr. I’m your son I love you we’re good
friends really we’re at a point I’ve
made you proud you know all this stuff
yeah and we have another one okay our
Father you you’ve worked your tail off
I mean you’ve sacrificed you’ve been
away you’ve been on the road issues
health all but you have busted your tail
and you today are worth 10 million yeah
okay yeah 10 million that you work for
not me I don’t work for that you were
wait a minute let me let me say this
point 10 million that you work for right
I don’t work for it okay I take your
money and I say dad that money you made
I think I want to spend that money six
hundred thousand dollars here three
hundred thousand dollars here eight
hundred thousand dollars here two
hundred thousand dollars one hundred
thousand dollars here with no
accountability I don’t work for it you
work for it this is the challenge this
is where I’m going with this the
challenge I’m going with this on
America has become a very powerful
successful nation at the cost of the
people that came prior to us and I feel
if the generations prior to us as if
you’re my father made all of that money
I think it’s foolish for us to say now
that we have all this money let’s come
up with all these different programs and
let’s give it away for free I feel we’re
taking likes giving it away this is rich
well those lands is the very question
you still didn’t answer my question what
is the question the question was if it’s
taxes what rate would you say I’m not
paying above this I I would say 95% I’d
say hey what are you doing so you would
be okay I don’t know you but I think
exactly what that’s what I’m telling you
my answer not done study laugh or Arthur
Laffer and David and he over it which is
absolutely crazy and wrong and the
trickle-down doesn’t work well you know
because when you know Seiberling will
you give hydrations
when you I don’t care who hide who I’m
just telling you that we the
trickle-down theory has never worked and
the reason it has never worked is if you
give corporations a tremendous tax break
what do they do with it they they give
it to their investors okay
they don’t know one high monetary no one
hires
one more person than they need to ever
you don’t suddenly say I need someone to
mow my lawn and one person could mow the
lawn but you know what I’m there for
kids in the neighborhood I’m gonna hire
five kids to do it and I’ll pay each of
them every company every time every
three months there’s a corporate meeting
to say how can you cut two expenses in
your department every company does
they’ll run a company okay so you do
that so you don’t say you know what we
don’t need this much of a profit I got
an idea let’s go out and hire more
people we don’t need them to do anything
but let’s just hire that’s of course
I’ll do that you don’t think companies
that’s why so my question to you then is
you’re admitting that when you get a
huge tax break you turn it into profits
for your people you don’t suddenly go
out and hire more people that I really
know we have more to do what what do you
mean to do what we have so much more
jobs to create there’s so many ways to
become more
just right now I’ll give you an idea
that when the time for structure would
hire more people why don’t you do that
and do things that we actually need in
this country we need to fix the roads
with the school’s the hospitals the
bridges we need infrastructure there
would be no disrespect the ward it’s the
system worrying about your tax well you
have got some mathematical use it and
it’s like me being irresponsible my
finances well you’re not responsible if
their people left out in this country
that aren’t eating that aren’t going to
decent schools that aren’t getting a
decent life let’s create a better
country in this every country on this
planet is some combination of a little
bit of capitalism and a little bit of
socialism there is a continuum on the
one end of the continuum you have
capitalism and 100% capitalism and then
the other end socialist doesn’t work in
their three country is somewhere in the
mess in China is a little bit of capital
e alright so I’m saying what I’m s move
it over more the taxation should be the
tax rate should be an answer to your
question yeah where the most people in
our country can have a decent life
that’s a fair tax system but if there’s
a tax system which lets me have this
privileged life and other people don’t
have it that’s not a tax system we
should be proud of that is a tax system
that ought to be fixed you really
believe that so you’re saying you would
be okay you’re saying it you really
would be okay with 95 percent I don’t
know what the numbers no no that’s no
because I’m telling you I don’t know
what that number is so my biggest
concern today is we don’t have a Walter
Cronkite we don’t have a guy that I can
look at it’s gonna give me either side
and it’s not gonna have emotionally
attached to one second your politics is
passionate like you said values
principles things that you grew with
there’s certain things that were
attached doesn’t mean that the during
the Walter Cronkite error he would end
every board cast by saying and that’s
the way it is that’s the 23rd day of
December 19 under whatever and but in
truth it wasn’t the way it is it’s the
way one reporter in one location at one
moment in time what that person happened
to see see I believe the journalists
are honest 99% of them are honest they
just don’t tell you the truth and the
difference between that is honest is
because they don’t lie they don’t know
something and then tell you something
else that would be lying but the reason
they don’t always tell you the truth is
because who knows truth okay maybe you
know in your life you grow up to learn
to make judgments you get information
you get it from newspapers you get it
from your kids you get it from your
teachers you get it from the parents you
get it from observations you develop
wisdom and maybe just before your die
God goes like this and some of the you
have truth so we don’t totally know that
back in these 50s 60s 70s and into the
80s we only had three networks and
because television had to be regulated
because you wouldn’t screw up the
signals you had to make sure since they
were only you had to give each network a
bandwidth that meant that all of America
was basically getting their news from
just three television stations he’s in
that social media you didn’t yet have
cable before 1980 so so since there were
only all the country was getting its
news from only three stations you
couldn’t have partisan a blatantly
partisan newscasts it had to be we’re
just telling you what each side says now
once you had cable and once you had
social media you can have thousands of
opinions and that’s where news has kind
of begun so we don’t get the but just
because we had three stations didn’t
mean that everything they were telling
us was God’s truth sure of course
I’m with you there I just I just would
be interesting if we had somebody like
that today by the way Jer I wish we had
way more time because we would have good
manding things and by the way what can
they find your podcast and you got a
podcast and by the way you got a check
out it’s podcast what can they find your
project well thank you I just Google
Jerry Springer podcast it’s a weekly
podcast and I do it at a coffee shop in
Ludlow Kentucky right across the river
from Cincinnati and it’s a folk music
coffee shop so people come in with the
guitars the banjos the fiddles and I do
it with my best
for 45 years we sit there in the coffee
shop it’s ten minutes of comedy
ten minutes of me doing a political rant
which surprises liberal and then we do
10 minutes of music and the music is
creative
yeah a lot it’s creative yeah so give it
a listen Jerry Springer podcast again
Jerry thank you for your time appreciate you
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