NEIL: CHAD, THANK YOU FOR THAT,
CHAD PERGRAM.
I WANT TO GO TO CARLOS GIMENEZ,
REPUBLICAN SOUTH FLORIDA
CONGRESSMAN, HOUSE
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
COMMITTEE.
FIRST OFF, WHAT DO YOU SEE AND
HEAR FOR YOUR FOLKS BACK HOME,
OBVIOUSLY THIS HURRICANE QUITE
PROPERLY SHOULD BE THE FRONT AND
CENTER ATTENTION.
WHAT IS THE LATEST?
>> WE’RE ALL BATTENING DOWN AND
HE ESPECIALLY THE AREA OF TAMPA,
FORT MYERS.
THEY’RE ONES REALLY RIGHT NOW
SEEM TO BE IN THE CROSS-HAIRS.
NEIL, REALLY CRITICAL OF WHERE
THAT, THE CENTER OF THE STORM
ACTUALLY CROSSES F IT CROSSES
SOUTH OF TAMPA, IT IS GOOD NEWS
FOR TAMPA, EVEN THOUGH THEY GET
REALLY STRONG WINDS AND ALL.
THEY WILL NOT GET DEVASTATING
STORM SURGE WE FEAR FOR THE
TAMPA AREA.
THEN AGAIN THAT MEANS FORT MYERS
MAY BE THE PLACE WHERE THE STORM
SURGE REALLY COMES IN.
IT DEPENDS WHERE THE STORM WILL
COME IN.
IT WILL ALSO LINGER APPARENTLY
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE.
IT IS DUMPING RIGHT NOW MASSIVE
AMOUNTS OF RAIN HERE IN
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND WE’RE
PRETTY FAR AWAY FROM THE STORM.
IT IS QUESTION OF WHEN, THE
STORM SURGE WHICH IS THE BIGGEST
KILLER, HOW LONG IT WILL LINGER
OVER THE STATE DUMPING TONS OF
WATER ON US.
SO YOU KNOW WE’RE HOPING FOR THE
BEST BUT WE’RE ALSO PREPARED FOR
THE WORST.
NEIL: THAT’S IS A GOOD POLICY TO
HAVE THERE.
AS A FORMER MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
MAYOR YOURSELF YOU’RE PROBABLY
AWARE THAT THE COUNTY PALM BEACH
COUNTY AND BROWARD COUNTY ARE
SHUTTING DOWN SCHOOLS TOMORROW
OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.
I’M SURE YOU AGREE WITH THAT BUT
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
YOUR STATE, CONGRESSMAN,
PROBABLY IN YOUR DISTRICT AS
WELL, THEY HAVE NOT SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS, PARTICULARLY
THE MILLIONS WHO MOVED TO
FLORIDA OAF THE LAST FEW YEARS.
MAYBE A LOT OF FLORIDIANS
THEMSELVES WHO HAVEN’T DEALT
WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHAT,
2017, ARE YOU WORRIED THEY’RE A
BIT TOO COMPLACENT OR COULD BE?
>> I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
TIME WILL TELL WE PUT OUT, THE
GOVERNOR DOES A VERY GOOD JOB,
THE STATE DOES A GOOD JOB
WARNING PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT THEY
NEED TO DO, HOW YOU TO GET
PREPARED.
NEED AT LEAST THREE DAYS OF
FOOD, WATER, MEDICINES, ALL THAT
TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR AT
LEAST THREE DAYS.
IF YOU’RE IN THE PATH,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE IN THE PATH
OF A STORM SURGE YOU NEED TO
EVACUATE.
AND SO WE PUT THAT MESSAGE OUT
LOUD AND CLEAR TO EVERYBODY THAT
LIVES HERE.
HOPEFULLY THEY WILL LIST
10:00 TO THEIR NEIGHBORS THAT
ARE VETERANS OF HURRICANES AND
DO WHAT THEY DO.
FLORIDA IS THE BEST-PREPARED
STATE IN THE NATION FOR
HURRICANES BECAUSE WE GET THEM.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE PRICE OF
LIVING IN BE PARADISE BUT AGAIN
THOSE NORTHERNERS, EVERYONE ELSE
FLEEING BLUE STATES COME DOWN TO
THE FREE RED STATE, THEY NEED TO
HEED THE WARNINGS DO WHAT THE
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE TELLING
THEM TO DO.
NEIL: CONGRESSMAN, YOU’RE KIND
ENOUGH WITH A CRAZY DAY WITH A
LOT ON YOUR PLATE, THE MARKET IS
DOWN AGAIN 200 POINTS.
THE PRESIDENT LIKES TO BOAST HE
DOESN’T FOCUS ON THE STOCK
MARKET.
THAT IS NOT A SO VEILED SHOT AT
HIS PREDECESSOR WHO SPOKE ABOUT
THE MARKETS EVERY DAY BUT I
WONDER WHAT YOU THINK OF THAT?
SHOULD A PRESIDENT BE LOOKING AT
THE MARKETS?
THE TYPICAL ARGUMENT YOU HEAR
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, OTHERS
EXPRESSED THIS IN THE PAST IT
ISN’T REALLY MAIN STREET, IT IS
WALL STREET.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> WELL, IT IS MAIN STREET.
SO MANY PENSION SYSTEMS ARE TIED
TO THE MARKET AND INDIVIDUAL
SAVINGS TIED TO THE MARKET,
401(k)S, ET CETERA, THAT IS A
CREATION OF WEALTH, FOR A
PRESIDENT TO SAY I DON’T REALLY
CARE ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET,
SINCE THE STOCK MARKET LOST
TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF VALUE
FOR REAL PEOPLE HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES, I THINK THAT IS
KIND OF CONTROLLED AND REALLY
NOT TIED TO THE REAL THINK REAL
DI OF PEOPLE RETIRING THESE
DAYS.
YOU CAN’T RETIRE ON
SOCIAL SECURITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, PROBABLY A
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE OTHER
WAYS HOW THEY’RE GOING TO BE
SAVING UNFOR THEIR RETIREMENT.
THE STOCK MARKET IS A HUGE PART
OF THAT YEAH, YOU SHOULD FOCUS
IN ON THE STOCK MARKET.
BY THE WAY THE BETTER AMERICA
DOES, THE BETTER THE STOCK
MARKET DOES.
IF YOU’RE NOT FOCUSED IN ON THE
STOCK MARKET MEANS YOU’RE NOT
FOCUSING IN ON HOW WELL AMERICA
IS DOING.
NEIL: YOU’RE QUITE WELL FOR
THAT, PENSION FUNDS TEACHERS,
FIREFIGHTERS, THEY CLOSELY
FOLLOW MARKETS SO IT IS IN THEIR
INTEREST TO DO SO.