Garage Logic – “What A Bunch of B.S.”

Podcast Network: Gamut Podcast Network
Episode Date: March 30, 2026
Host: Joe Soucheray (“The Mayor”)
Regulars: Mark Ellis, Kenny Olson, Chris Reivers, Josh Arnold

Episode Overview

This Monday’s episode finds “the Mayor” Joe Soucheray and the crew firing away at local political dysfunction, especially in Minneapolis, while musing on city governance, activism, and the collapse of common sense in urban government. The team delivers classic Garage Logic commentary—irreverent, grumpy, rooted in “Gumption County” sensibilities—with a deep dive into the Minneapolis City Council’s recent turmoil and broader themes of progressive politics versus traditional values. Listeners are also treated to famous GL tangents, notably an extended appreciation for Charles Barkley, a dissection of tax hikes and city budgets, and philosophical musings on why America’s left and right can't communicate—with plenty of memorable quotes and sharp wit throughout.

Main Topics and Key Insights

1. Minneapolis City Council in Disarray

(Start ~03:39)

• The show kicks off with Joe Soucheray referencing recent Minneapolis City Council infighting over a resolution about Cuba and divesting from Belgian banks.
  • Joe rails against council members devoting time to global issues unrelated to their duties while local problems go unaddressed:
    “When the council weighs in on every global development over which they have zero authority or influence, they don't look powerful. They look small.” (06:58)
• Elizabeth Schaefer (Ward 7) is praised for focusing on real city work (emergency rental assistance, police training), versus Robin Wansley (Ward 2) and others, whom Joe brands as “professional activists.”
  • On activist council members: “A city of go-getters has been replaced by a city of people who aren’t go-getters. Wansley is probably not lying ... These are the people who voted for her. They don’t care about Minneapolis. They’re not go getters.” (11:07)
  • On the absurdity of council actions: “A sitting member of our City Council thinks it is a strategic action to spend time and political capital helping a group of people fly to Europe to protest federal immigration performance.” (13:24)

Notable Rant:

“Minneapolis will never survive with this political setup ... If we bring about their vision, the city will continue to decline and be absolutely nothing for everybody. And I think that's what they want. They want misery shared equally.” (15:26)

• The group discusses how Schaefer was elected by remaining pro-commerce, affluent parts of Minneapolis, while activist members are winning elsewhere:
  “She got elected by people who have a vested interest in seeing that the city actually works... The rest of them got elected by people who have given up being a go getter.” (14:23)

Memorable Moment:

• “Robin Wansley and [the rest], none of them ever worked. None of them ever done anything. They're professional activists from the failed academy.” (18:03)

Segment Timestamps:

• [03:39] – Council childishness & clip
• [06:58] – The “smallness” of council grandstanding
• [10:31] – Latricia Vita as a potential voice of reason; council acrimony
• [13:24] – Activists’ global ambitions vs. Minneapolis realities

2. Why Progressives and Conservatives Can’t Talk

(34:50 onward)

• Listener Carlton Smee, a pastor and college ethics instructor, writes in (35:10) with a philosophical explanation of today’s political impasse:

  • Summary from Carlton Smee:
    • Progressives are “consequentialists,” chasing outcomes (even if it requires disregarding individuals).
    • Conservatives care about individuals and want people to determine their own outcomes.

• Joe dubs this “brilliant”:

  “Progressives want an outcome that they will determine. Conservatives want an outcome that you determine.” (40:14)

• Mark Ellis distills: “Don’t let facts get in the way of your narrative. Don’t let people get in the way of your goal.” (39:17)

• Joe concludes: “Progressives are seeking an outcome, at all cost. And it doesn’t—people really don’t figure into the outcome.” (39:44)

Segment Timestamps:

• [34:50] – Reader letter introduction
• [35:59] – Explanation of descriptive vs. normative ethics
• [39:17] – “Don’t let facts get in the way of your narrative”
• [40:14] – Joe’s summary/direct phrasing

3. Charles Barkley and the Search for Common Sense Leadership

(22:10, 25:08–29:37)

• GL’s recurring wish for a "common sense" leader, with Joe and the crew fantasizing about voting for Charles Barkley for president.
  • Joe: “If Charles Barkley announced today that he was running for president, it’d be the last you see of me ... I would quit the show and I would go and find him and say, what do you want me to do?” (22:36)
  • Extended discussion about Barkley’s authenticity, care for people, and a charming true story of his friendship with Lin Wang.
• The crew comments: “What Barkley is, is a G ller. He can see. He sees it all. And he calls it the way he sees it.” (30:34)

Segment Timestamps:

• [22:10] – Barkley hypothetical candidacy
• [25:08] – Barkley’s immigration comments
• [26:55] – The Lin Wang story (human connection and decency)
• [30:34] – The “G ller” archetype

4. Hennepin County Sheriff Funding and the Crisis of Public Safety

(42:37–48:50)

• Commissioner Marion Greene questions the sheriff’s role in public safety after a budget overrun.

  • Greene: “Why do we need a sheriff's department anyway? ... I'm not willing to fund the sheriff to provide public safety for Hennepin County. I don't think that is something that the office can take on and do well.” (44:49)
  • This statement triggers a strong reaction from over 40 police chiefs and mayors.

• Joe notes the need to eliminate redundancy in government but deems Greene’s focus misdirected:
  “If only we had a legislator with a mind to capture and eliminate the redundancy in the state government level, we'd all be better off ... the Sheriff's department is 100% needed and thoroughly effective in Minneapolis.” (47:34)

Segment Timestamps:

• [42:37] – Greene’s comments and their fallout
• [44:49] – Reading and discussing Greene’s reasoning

5. State & City Fiscal Policy: Tabs, Taxes, and School Budgets

(64:47–75:05)

• The DFL’s (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) “trifecta” leads to increased car tab fees and tax hikes—GL rails against Minnesota’s rising cost of living.

  • Joe: “The Democrats want your money. They dream up new ways to take your money. They're gonna get it and they're gonna get your money.” (71:01)

• Extended discussion on perennial school budgeting “crises”:

  • “They don't budget correctly, knowing perfectly well they can play that weeping child card ... They never budget correctly.” (71:52)
  • Mark: “If you don't vote, you're voting against kids!” (72:10)
  • Joe on school boards: “You're liars and you're thieves. I don't care what school district it is. They all do it.” (72:21)

Segment Timestamps:

• [64:47] – Car tab fee formula changes and comparisons
• [71:24] – School budget gaps, administrative bloat, and lack of accountability

6. Politics Beyond Policy: The Senate Race and Political Identity

(54:14–63:51)

• Discussion turns to the Minnesota Senate race, hypocrisy, and candidate posturing:
  • Angie Craig walks back her support for the Lake and Riley Act (related to illegal immigration) due to pressure from the party base, facing Flanagan in the primary:

    “‘Earlier this month, Craig said she now regrets her vote for the act. I realized standing in front of the Whipple Detention Center looking at semi automatic weapons, that voting to give Trump's ICE any additional authority was a mistake and I regret it.’” (58:54, quoting Craig)

  • Joe’s verdict: “Angie, I would have preferred you. Now you've left me in a quandary. You've just left me in a quandary.” (63:51)
• Both Craig and Flanagan are criticized as career politicians shifting with party winds, with Joe lamenting the lack of genuine choices.

Segment Timestamps:

• [54:14] – Angie Craig vs. Peggy Flanagan in the DFL primary
• [58:54] – Craig’s “walk back” explanation
• [62:57] – Politicians’ empty rhetoric

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “These are not. Minneapolis will never survive with this political setup.” – Joe Soucheray (15:26)
• “Progressives want an outcome that they will determine. Conservatives want an outcome that you determine.” – Joe Soucheray (40:14)
• “I'd rather have a rectal exam than stand there and listen to Jane Fonda. Are you kidding me?” – Joe Soucheray (31:27)
• “Angie, I would have preferred you. Now you've left me in a quandary.” – Joe Soucheray (63:51)
• “What a bunch of BS these people are involved in.” – Joe Soucheray (75:31)
• On Charles Barkley: “He can see. He sees it all. And he calls it the way he sees it. He's a g ler.” – Mark Ellis (30:39)
• “You're liars and you're thieves. I don't care what school district it is. They all do it.” – Joe Soucheray (72:21)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:39 – Minneapolis City Council chaos, global activism vs. local needs
• 10:31 – More on council personalities and issues
• 22:10 – Charles Barkley presidential riff and authenticity
• 34:50 – Listener’s philosophy: why the political divide is unbridgeable
• 39:17 – “Don’t let facts get in the way of your narrative…”
• 42:37 – Hennepin County sheriff funding debate
• 54:14 – Senate primary: Craig vs. Flanagan
• 64:47 – Car tabs, fees, and the state’s fiscal squeeze
• 71:24 – School budget failures, accountability
• 75:31 – “What a bunch of B.S.”

Tone & Style

• Conversational, sardonic, irreverent—“down the road from Diversityville, but not as far as Liberal Lakes.”
• Frequent asides, personal anecdotes, and inside jokes among long-time friends.
• Political commentary steeped in skepticism of progressivism and bureaucracy.
• Humor interwoven throughout, despite frustration with state and city affairs.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is emblematic of Garage Logic’s mix: local politics skewered with a blend of indignation and humor, regular call-backs to personal responsibility and the lost virtues of “Gumption County,” and spirited (occasionally chaotic) banter. At its heart: a longing for common sense, accountability, and leaders built in the Barkley mold—unapologetically forthright, honest, and decent.

Listen if: You’re weary of political theater and crave blunt, funny, occasionally curmudgeonly analysis of why city life and politics “ain’t what they used to be.” Expect a free-wheeling ride—sometimes off-track, always entertaining.