Annie Black, candidate for Nevada Senate District 20, discussed the new SNAP program rules in Nevada, emphasizing that able-bodied adults aged 18-64 without dependents must work or volunteer 20 hours weekly to receive benefits. She criticized the previous system for providing lifelong assistance and highlighted the availability of jobs in Nevada, particularly in Clark County. Black also criticized Democrats for not standing for the protection of American citizens during the State of the Union address.
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Alan Stock 0:00
Annie, good morning. It is Thursday, the 26th day of February. And if it’s Thursday, it’s got to be Nevada news and views Thursday, which it is, Nevada news and views a great source of information and commentary about anything local, statewide and national. And I encourage you to check it out by going to Nevada news and views.com Nevada news and views calm. I read it every single day, and I encourage you to do the same. Joining us this morning on behalf of Nevada news and views our good friend Annie black, she, of course, Nevada, Nevada State Assembly Woman and now a candidate for the 20th state senate district. Annie, thanks for being with us. I appreciate it.
Annie Black 0:39
Thanks for having me it’s always a good time,
Alan Stock 0:41
and it always is. And I want to talk about the SNAP program. You wrote a couple of articles about SNAP, and there have been some people who think that getting rid of this without getting rid of this program, there’s reworking the rules, actually, and they’re basically saying that if you want to get any kind of assistance, you should have to work. And some people are saying, it sounds like me and grebs and Dobie Gillis, work, work. You know what I mean? Work. You know, they may freak out to that, but I mean, why should we just give handouts to people and tell them to stay home and watch young and restless?
Annie Black 1:21
That’s a great question. I didn’t realize. I guess you’re saying, you know, part time work is a human rights violation, which is literally insane. It’s one of the most insane things I’ve ever heard. But they’re just basically saying that if you’re a grown adult and you don’t have dependents at home, you need to go work part time. So there you go. That’s a travesty. It’s terrible. So tell us about the new rule you wrote about this. If you’re 18 to 64 What are you expected to do? And if you and if you’re able, mentally and physically able to work exactly so if you’re an able bodied adult, you can, you need to work part time, unless they’re well, I guess traditionally, for like two decades, you could get a waiver, but that’s going away, so now they’re just requiring that if you’re an able bodied person without minors at home. So it’s like anyone 14 and under, you have to either work, train to work, or volunteer 20 hours a week to get your SNAP benefits. So you don’t even have to work. You could just go volunteer or train to work and still get your benefit,
Alan Stock 2:27
amazing stuff. And when you say work, you’re talking about, like, 20 hours a week, right?
Annie Black 2:33
20 hours a week? Yeah, I know. And I just think about, I know, I saw you recently, and I was like, Man, you must work a lot for your show, right? You do the show, and then you get done with the show, and you prep so you’re probably working 60 or 80 hours a week. I know I am, so it doesn’t seem too far fetched. These people can put in a simple 20 hour work week. I work
Alan Stock 2:51
20 hours a week. I’m working 20 hours a day, you know, putting a dip on my show together, you know? I mean, I I mean, people always say, What did you talk about today? After I’m through with my show, and they want to almost, and I say, I don’t remember. I really don’t. I mean, it’s the truth. I My mind is always focused on the next day and everything you know, forward and I mean, that’s how I keep myself, you know, in this whole role that I that I do, and it’s, and it’s really, for me, it’s a lot of fun. And you get into find something that you love doing, as they say, and you’ll never work a day in your life. So that’s what I encourage these folks to do. But nonetheless they want to. They’re thinking that forcing them to to work in order to get benefits is, is somehow, is somehow notorious, and it’s and it’s fascist, and it’s, you know, a control over their lives. I don’t know why we ever handed this out in the first place. I understand with covid and everything, what happened, but we made, we’ve made some huge mistakes, and now we’re trying to correct them.
Annie Black 3:56
Well, let me tell you, from personal experience, I was divorced, had two kids, single mom, unexpectedly, basically homeless, and I tried to get, you know, government health insurance, and was told that I made too much money. There’s a there’s a serious problem when working people that need temporary assistance can’t get it, and then these programs that are meant to be a bridge turn into a lifetime subscription for everybody else. It’s just not the way the system was designed to work, and they’ve been taking advantage of it for too long, and now they’re free rides over.
Alan Stock 4:27
So let’s ask the big question, when is the free ride over? When does this go into effect?
Annie Black 4:33
Oh, I think it’s pretty much going to be done here soon.
Alan Stock 4:37
So I think it is. I believe, if I’m not mistaken, it’s March 1. Yeah, I think you’re right. I believe it is coming up right around the corner, like you’re right. Yes, of course, yeah. I’m pretty sure it is the first, and it’s gonna kick in then, and, yeah, starting March 1. So they say that, okay, almost 45,000 The Nevadans will lose SNAP food benefits unless they meet basic work or activity rules. That’s what you wrote about. Now, here’s the here’s the question, though, some people are saying, but are there jobs out there for me? I mean, really, I’ll work, but are there really jobs? And you wrote about the fact that there are jobs all over the place, in the state of Nevada, and especially down here in Clark County.
Annie Black 5:22
Well, for sure, going back to what you talked about, there’s about 133,000 able bodied adults without dependents on the program. You know, less than 50,000 of them are going to have to actually document the 20 hour work week. But to go back to your question, there’s tons of jobs. I mean, I can speak for myself personally, I’m in real estate. I’m constantly looking for trades people, handy men, plumbers, housekeepers. You know, a housekeeper in my area right now makes 25 bucks an hour to clean houses. So it’s not even necessarily that there’s a lot of jobs which there are, but there’s a lot of potential to start your own business and make a lot of money doing very basic tasks that most people are just basically too lazy to do.
Alan Stock 6:06
You could always find a job if you want a job, and if you go by store, you know, you go to any mall, strip malls, and you always see help wanted signs everywhere I do, when I when I go, wherever I go shopping like that, I always see signs in various stores that say and businesses that say, Help Wanted, you know, acquire with within. And so there are jobs that may not be something that you want to do forever. I get it. I absolutely get it, but it’s something that you can get into. And I always say it’s easier to get a job when you have a job. So if you’re already working, you’re showing that you’re responsible to someone showing up and everything like that. It’s easier to go out on out, to sell yourself to someone else to get a better job. You know, saying I’m working right now, but you know, I want to better myself. And again, you can prove that by the fact that you are currently employed. So the thing is, is the is, get your foot wet, you know, to begin with, and then and jump in and and do it, even if it’s not your dream job, right?
Annie Black 7:12
And you know what I I tell people all the time, I’m not sure where everyone sits on AI, but with the use of AI, there’s really no excuse anymore. You can use it to write a resume. You can use it to, you know, figure out what you should talk about during your interview. You can use it to find jobs. You can use it for everything you can. You can kind of fake your way into a job, and then you can use AI to learn how to do the job until you really, you know if that’s if you’re there’s something you want, but you’re not quite qualified. So there are a ton of options for people, and they have, like you said, Until March 1, which is Sunday, I think, to figure it out so, but still plenty of time.
Alan Stock 7:47
Yeah, I think this is a it’s an opportunity, really. It is an opportunity to be able to get your to motivate yourself to get going. And I encourage people to get out there and and find something we need to fill those slots. People you know need to work well, there are jobs out there to to be had right now. Stay with me. I want to talk to you about the State of the Union, get your take on and I had Brian Soble on yesterday with his take on it. I want to get your take on the State of the Union and how people wouldn’t stand for certain things, which kind of amazed me, a couple of things stuck out in particular in my mind. But I want to get your take on this. Annie black joining us right here on Vegas today. It is Nevada news and views Thursday, and we’re going to continue in just a moment right here on kx. NT Annie, good morning. Great to have you with us on this big Thursday morning. Annie Black is a candidate for the Nevada’s 20th state senate district this morning, also representing Nevada news and views. For to find out more about Nevada news and views, go to Nevada news and views. Calm. Annie. Thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it. Let’s talk about the State of the Union address. I mean, of course, you watched it all long two hours. I love talking. I love hearing myself talk. You know, he does. I mean, he, you know, I always said he should have, if he wasn’t president, he should have been a talk show host a four hour a day or six hour a day. He could have done it easy. I mean, you know, he loves it, but he’s funny too. I mean, he is, he knows where to be able to to be able to inject humor and but he did call the Democrats out at one point for not rising to their feet when he was honoring he asked a simple question. He said, If you agree that the US government’s first duty is the protection of its citizens, not illegal aliens, please stand and they didn’t. And he looked over at them, and he said, You should be ashamed of yourself for not standing up. I’ve never seen a president do is, you know, take the task the opposing. A group like he did.
Annie Black 10:02
Yeah, it was wild. I mean, it’s so typical. You know, it’s not really surprising. Everyone knows they’re not going to stand no matter how disgusting it is. Remember, there was that little boy DJ that has, like, brain cancer or something, a couple years ago, and they wouldn’t even stand for him. And it’s like, it’s just disgusting. I don’t, I don’t get it. And I, I’m not quite sure how Democrats don’t view that as disgusting. But apparently they don’t, because their lawmakers keep doing it. But yeah, they refuse to stand for murder victims, that Irina Ruska, that wounded veteran, guy, grieving widows, and worst of the worst, which is what you said, is, you know, stand if you believe your first duty is to protect American citizens. And they couldn’t even stand for that, which is just so sad. You could make a joke about it, but it’s just not even funny anymore. You know, it’s, it’s really disgusting.
Alan Stock 10:54
Well, that’s true. I mean, the first, the first rule of government. I always say this the first rule of government, no matter what you believe or what side of the political aisle you’re on, should be the the safety of the people in your country. This is for any country. It could be Spain, it could be America, it could be, you know, Chile. I don’t care what country in the world. You know, the protection of your citizens is first and foremost. Nothing matters if they’re not safe. Education, you know, benefits and you know cable TV, nothing means a thing if the if the people aren’t safe. And so that’s what the President is saying. And these people can’t even stand up for the safety of the American citizens as a primary. And I just thought that was, it was amazing that they would actually sit down in front of the whole world and show, I’ll tell you what his they’ve got a the Republicans having an incredible ad out of that.
Annie Black 11:56
Yeah, so Well, you know, it brings me back to remembering the only American that I’ve seen them stand for in a while that’s been killed was George Floyd, and I don’t think he was killed. He was, you know, clearly, on drugs. And it turns out that was a whole scam, which we knew all along. But they have no problem standing for people who shoot pregnant women or hold hold them at gunpoint, and regular American citizens who get killed by people like that, they don’t care about them at all, or their families who are still alive. And you know, could you imagine sitting in that audience or watching that on TV, and being one of those parents or husbands or children of those people, and half of the Congress who represents you can’t even stand and honor them? I can’t imagine what that feels like.
Alan Stock 12:41
I would be pissed off. I really would I sincerely would be if it was a member of my family that went through something like that, and the woman that was crying because of her daughter who was killed on that train by the by the crazed lunatic who should have been locked up and had a history of being locked up and they couldn’t even stand for her. I mean, I felt so bad for her, and she was crying all time, and they couldn’t even stand for her. It’s like you people are sick. I mean, you’re really and he did. The president one point said, You’re You’re crazy. This side of the room is crazy. You’re crazy and, and, and he’s absolutely right. So you decided to get into the race for Nevada State Senate, the 20th district, and what motivated you? And how’s the race going?
Annie Black 13:33
It’s going great. So far so good. No complaints. Everything’s going as it should. I was going to originally run for my old assembly seat because my rep decided he wasn’t going to run for reelection. And then Senator Jeff Stone, who’s an amazing patriot and was the deciding vote to kill the Hollywood film head film credit bill in the special session decided he wasn’t going to run for re election. And so my opponent is also in the assembly, and she decided she was going to run in that seat. And, you know, we’re one vote away from the super minority in the Senate, and we can’t afford to have a Republican in the Senate who can be bought and pushed and persuaded and will play political games with with the establishment and with Democrats, and that’s what she’s done. She’s been vocally opposed and refuses to sign the taxpayer protection pledge. She was a co sponsor on the assisted suicide bill, and no matter how you feel about that, we’re seeing cases in Canada where, you know, they just euthanized a 20 something year old guy because he had mental illness. It’s one of those things that once you start doing it, grandma and people that insurance companies don’t want to pay to treat will start just getting euthanized because it’s more convenient that way. She’s voted for tons of tax hikes, and so the district is overwhelmingly red Republican district, and we want and deserve somebody. Who is a tried, true conservative, and that’s me, so that’s why I’m running.
Alan Stock 15:06
Well, we’re watching the race and wish you the best, and it’s going to be fascinating to watch this whole year. What the bottom line is that the governor not only needs to be re elected, but he needs to get a legislature in their state senate and assembly that is supportive of his efforts. He has some great ideas, but unless he gets the state legislature behind him, he can’t implement any of these at all, and it’s going to be a battle between him and the State Senate and the Assembly. We need to get the assembly and the State Senate over to the other side of the aisle to be able to accomplish the things. Again, I think that Joe Lombardo has some great ideas, but he can’t get them through without a without a state legislature that is agreeing with his ideas. And I know you would be there with him side by side. Annie black joining us this morning, candidate for the 20th state senate district, also representing Nevada. News and views. If you want to find out more about Nevada news and views, go to Nevada news and views.com. Nevada news and views.com. Great resource for information and commentary locally, statewide and nationally. Annie, thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it quickly. People want to find your campaign. How can they
Annie Black 16:18
do it? Elect Annie black.com. Thanks, Alan. All right,
Alan Stock 16:22
take good care, good luck, and we’ll talk to you soon. All right, bye, bye.
