Introducing The Montclair Pod: Farnoosh's Newest Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: Introducing The Montclair Pod: Farnoosh's Newest Show

Podcast Information:

• Title: So Money with Farnoosh Torabi
• Host/Author: Farnoosh Torabi
• Episode: Introducing The Montclair Pod: Farnoosh's Newest Show
• Release Date: January 25, 2025

Overview: In this inaugural episode of "The Montclair Pod," hosts Mike Ali and Farnoosh Torabi delve into the potential ramifications of a second Trump term on the town of Montclair, New Jersey. While Montclair traditionally leans liberal, the election results indicate a subtle yet significant shift towards Republican support. The episode features candid conversations with local residents, including an interview with Michael D. Byrne, Chair of the Montclair Republican County Committee, as well as discussions on how Trump's policies on immigration, tariffs, and education could impact the community.

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1. Introduction to The Montclair Pod

Mike Ali opens the episode by introducing the new hyperlocal podcast, "The Montclair Pod," aimed at residents of Montclair and those curious about the town. He emphasizes the importance of channeling the overwhelming political climate into meaningful and creative projects.

Mike Ali [00:00]: "Dropping an episode of my new hyperlocal podcast. It's called the Montclair Pod... it can be incredibly grounding."

2. Election Results and Political Shifts

The hosts discuss the recent presidential election, highlighting that while Montclair predominantly voted for Harris (88%), there was a noticeable increase in Trump support compared to 2016 (from 11% to 12%).

Farnoosh Torabi [02:25]: "It's not a political show, we're not policy experts. We want to have a candid conversation about the political mood in this town."
Mike Ali [03:04]: "Harris got approximately 88% of the votes. Trump got 12%, which is a bit of a lead for Trump compared to 2016."

3. Interviews with Local Trump Supporters

Mike Ali visits Tierney's Bar to capture the sentiments of Trump supporters in Montclair. He interviews several patrons, including father and son Fred, and Sue, who express their support for Trump despite living in a predominantly liberal town.

Joe [08:24]: "Happy. They tried to kill him. They tried to throw him in jail. Nothing worked. Then he got in."
Sue [08:49]: "I do support him more than most of the other candidates I've seen, and especially Biden."

4. Community Dynamics and Polarization

The episode highlights the increasing polarization within Montclair, where Trump supporters feel marginalized and even face intimidation for their political views. An incident is recounted where Michael D. Byrne was assaulted for displaying Republican flags.

Farnoosh Torabi [07:32]: "People being confused, being scared and taking actions out of fear."
Ali [20:24]: "You can't spit on people. That's disgusting."
Farnoosh Torabi [20:35]: "Nobody should feel unsafe because they have a political view that differs from their neighbor."

5. Interview with Michael D. Byrne

Michael D. Byrne, a third-generation Montclair resident and Chair of the Montclair Republican County Committee, discusses the challenges of being a Republican in a predominantly liberal town. He emphasizes the alignment of Trump's "America First" agenda with local conservative values but also acknowledges the hostility faced by Republican supporters.

Michael D. Byrne [14:26]: "The America first message is what resonates with most Republicans in Montclair."
Michael D. Byrne [17:02]: "There's certainly some intimidation."
Farnoosh Torabi [22:44]: "13% of folks here pay taxes, feel a certain way about the town, and shouldn't be silenced."

6. Impact of Trump's Immigration Policies

The hosts consult Dr. Jackie Vimo, an assistant professor at Montclair State University, to discuss the potential impact of Trump's intensified immigration policies on Montclair's immigrant population.

Dr. Jackie Vimo [24:08]: "Mass deportations are going to have a huge psychological impact."
Dr. Jackie Vimo [25:50]: "We don't have the same bulwarks that kept some of the more radical Trump proposals from going into effect."

Key Concerns:

• Removal of the Sensitive Locations Policy could lead to increased immigration enforcement in schools, churches, and hospitals.
• The fear and confusion among immigrant communities, including mixed-status families.
• Importance of community support and legal representation for those affected.

7. Effects of Proposed Tariffs on Local Businesses

The discussion shifts to Trump's proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, exploring how these could affect local businesses like Solano, a boutique owned by Gabriela Tutalo.

Gabriela Tutalo [32:42]: "Finally, the dream came true... preserving the traditions of Mexico."
Gabriela Tutalo [34:21]: "If costs went up 20%, the first thing I would do is focus on fewer products and find new sources."
Farnoosh Torabi [35:51]: "We are rooting for her and hoping she can continue her mission."

Strategies Adopted:

• Streamlining product offerings to maintain quality.
• Exploring local collaborations to offset increased import costs.
• Expanding online presence to boost revenue.

8. Concerns Over Department of Education Dismantling

Mike Ali discusses the potential dismantling of the Department of Education under Trump's administration, interviewing Jada Rohman, a Montclair Board of Education member, about the implications for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

Jada Rohman [36:48]: "Dismantling the DOE could be extremely detrimental to students."
Jada Rohman [37:10]: "We need to ensure our processes and standards are clean and by the book."
Farnoosh Torabi [38:19]: "Catch more of that conversation with Roman in an upcoming episode."

Potential Impacts:

• Reduced federal funding for programs supporting low-income schools and students.
• Increased disparities among school districts.
• Necessity for local superintendents to uphold educational standards independently.

9. Community Reflections and Future Directions

The episode concludes with reflections on the deep-rooted immigrant presence in Montclair and the essential roles they play in the community. The hosts encourage listeners to engage with local organizations and stay informed about their rights.

Farnoosh Torabi [30:03]: "13% of Montclair's population being foreign... more than 13% of the workforce."
Dr. Jackie Vimo [27:31]: "Immigrants are everywhere in Montclair... they're terrified."

10. Conclusion and Call to Action

The hosts wrap up by inviting listeners to share their thoughts and experiences, promising follow-up episodes that will delve deeper into the educational landscape of Montclair.

Mike Ali [38:27]: "Let us know your thoughts... we'll be covering everyone's favorite bus stop topic."
Farnoosh Torabi [39:00]: "Don't worry, be happy."
Mike Ali [39:04]: "We'll see you in town."

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Notable Quotes:

• Mike Ali [07:10]: "What do you worry about?"
• Farnoosh Torabi [07:13]: "It's pretty scary in terms of retribution, human rights, economic catastrophe."
• Michael D. Byrne [14:26]: "The America first message is what resonates with most Republicans in Montclair."
• Gabriela Tutalo [32:42]: "Preserving the traditions of Mexico and showing the world that Mexico is more than just sombreros and maracas."
• Dr. Jackie Vimo [24:08]: "Mass deportations are going to have a huge psychological impact."
• Jada Rohman [36:48]: "Dismantling the DOE could be extremely detrimental to students."

Key Takeaways:

• Montclair, while predominantly liberal, is experiencing a subtle increase in Republican support, particularly for Trump.
• Republican supporters in Montclair face social challenges and intimidation despite being a minority.
• Trump's potential policies on immigration and tariffs pose significant concerns for both the immigrant community and local businesses.
• The proposed dismantling of the Department of Education could severely impact educational standards and support systems in Montclair.
• Community engagement and education are crucial in navigating the anticipated political and economic shifts.

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For More Information:

• Join the So Money Members Club: SoMoneyMembers.com
• Contact The Montclair Pod:
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• Leave a Review: Support the podcast by leaving a review on your preferred platform to help expand its reach.

Transcript

[Ali]

Hey, everyone. Welcome to the show. We're doing something a little different today. Dropping an episode of my new hyperlocal podcast. It's called the Montclair Pod. If you're from Montclair, New Jersey, or even Montclair, Curious, I think you'll enjoy this. It's an episode that takes a deep dive into how a potential Trump win in the 2024 election and his proposed policies could impact towns like Montclair. And even if you don't live here, if you're living in a left leaning suburb, you might find this discussion really relevant. We explore issues like immigration, tariffs, education, and the local shifts we could see under Trump's leadership. We also hear from someone who is a Republican leader in town. What are his thoughts about living in Montclair? And you know, not for nothing, but I wanted to share this podcast because for me, it's been a way of staying productive and creative in a world that feels very unhinged at times, it's easy to get overwhelmed. But channeling that energy into something meaningful and fun and whether it's a new project or passion, can be incredibly grounding. And I hope this inspires you to pursue something creative in your own life. And of course, if you like what you're hearing, I would love for you to subscribe to the Montclair Pod. The link is in our show notes and you can do that here or wherever you get your podcasts and let me know what you think. Here's the episode. From this day forward, our country will.

[Mike]

Flourish and be respected again all over the world.

[Farnooche]

We will be the envy of every.

[Mike]

Nation and we will not allow ourselves.

[Farnooche]

To be taken advantage of any longer.

[Mike]

During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first. So what will a second Trump term mean for Montclair? Welcome to the Montclair Pod, everyone. We are your hosts, Mike Ali and Farnooche. You just heard a snippet from this week's inauguration. President Donald J. Trump being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, his second presidential victory. It's not the candidate most Montclairans voted for, though. So now what? He's back?

[Farnooche]

Yes, but we're not a political show, we're not policy experts. We want to have a candid conversation about the political mood in this town that, yeah, leans left, but it's a little bit more complex than that.

[Ali]

I mean, if you had to guess, you and listeners, if you had to guess the percentage of people who voted for Donald Trump in Montclair in the Most recent election. What would be your bet? What's your bet?

[Farnooche]

I mean, I feel like it's like maybe 10%, 20% up there.

[Ali]

I. I'm looking at the numbers, so I'm not going to guess, but I did ask my husband, and he. He thought like, 20%, maybe 25%.

[Mike]

That's where I was.

[Farnooche]

Yeah, I was really just thinking about the signage that I see.

[Ali]

By the signage, you might think it's like 1%, because it's not a lot. In Montclair, I think they're. As we'll learn later in this episode, some people are very closeted with their political leanings. But here are the numbers. Harris got approximately 88% of the votes. Trump got 12%, which is a bit of a lead for Trump compared to 2016, where he got 11% of the votes against Biden. And also tracks with what we see broadly with Essex County. But when you zoom in, you find that nearly 20% North Jersey towns flipped to red in this presidential election. And some of that had to do with Democratic voters just skipping the election. It's not to presume that they're all Trump fans.

[Farnooche]

And as far as New Jersey, the state goes, a notable right word shift in this past election.

[Mike]

So those are the stats. Are Montclair's politics shifting? I stopped by Tierney's to talk to locals about just that. And coming up later in the show, we have an interview with Michael D. Byrne, who is chairman of the Republican County Committee. He'll talk about some of the aspects of Trump's leadership that resonate most with people in town.

[Farnooche]

We'll also spend time understanding the ripple effects of some of Trump's biggest policy proposals, from mass deportations to raising tariffs and even shutting down the Department of Ed. We'll hear from some important voices in our community with their takes and advice for those who are concerned, to put it lightly.

[Ali]

And speaking of important voices, Michael, you did stop by Tyrannies on Monday, and I'm dying to hear this montage of voices that you collected. Trump was being sworn in and you chatted with locals about their thoughts regarding Trump's next act. How'd it go?

[Mike]

It was great. I loved going to Ty. And going to Ty's at 11:30 in the afternoon is even better on inauguration.

[Ali]

For the record, that is still morning Easter.

[Farnooche]

I was just gonna say afternoon. That is am.

[Mike]

I did have a beer.

[Ali]

A beer.

[Mike]

A beer.

[Farnooche]

It was a. It is a national holiday.

[Mike]

Yeah, exactly. And I will note that there are several televisions downstairs at Tierney's and Not one of them was playing the inauguration, although there were some people that were watching it on cell phones at the bar. And I had great conversations with people from across the political spectrum, starting with two guys named Fred. They were father and son, actually. One lives in town and one was in from Florida. Let's start with those two Freds. This is Mike Shriver for Montclair Pod. Fred, it's inauguration date today. Are you connected to the Trump victory at all?

[Ali]

Yes, I'm very glad Trump won, but.

[Mike]

I didn't, you know, pay attention to the inauguration. Do you ever get into it with people in Montclair? Differences of opinion? It's considered a liberal town. We think less so maybe of late.

[Farnooche]

No, I don't talk politics for people, so.

[Mike]

Except today. Yes. Yes, Fred too. Do you want to go? Any thoughts on the inauguration today? No, I typically don't watch. I mean, it's. It's just a ceremony, basically. I just want to see him get into action. You want to get him into action right away. What's the number one priority for you? It's twofold. Inflation and border. Got it. And that seems to me. What do you want on exactly. Yeah. Other Trump supporters like myself, I think those are the highest priorities. Thank you, Freds. What was your name? Luann. Do you want to go? Oh, come on, Luann. You can't let all the Freds have the glory. You sure? Okay. What's your name?

[Ali]

Trish.

[Mike]

Today's inauguration day. What was your response to that?

[Ali]

We're happy it's not on the television in Tierney's.

[Mike]

Basically all we got is sports on tv. Sorry. Take it. This was not a big part of your day.

[Ali]

No, MLK is a big part of the day.

[Mike]

Garrett, where are you from?

[Farnooche]

Montclair.

[Mike]

And so we're here at Tierney's at on Inauguration Day. Any thoughts?

[Farnooche]

Well, I. I wish the new president luck in America's agenda. Probably not his agenda, but you always want to America to be strong and for the President to do well on behalf of all of us. So I'm hopeful that things will be different. But there are no signs that it will be better than the last time. Actually, the signs are probably be worse.

[Mike]

So what do you worry about?

[Farnooche]

I'm worried about.

[Ali]

He'll.

[Farnooche]

He'll do what he says. Hopefully those. There's enough checks and enough reasonable Republican senators to prevent some of that from happening and a never enough majority in the House. But if you take him at his word, it's pretty scary in terms of retribution, human rights, economic catastrophe. That's what I'm worried about.

[Mike]

What have you found it to be like in Montclair, which is considered like a liberal town, but increasingly maybe less so. But what's your opinion on that?

[Farnooche]

Yeah, it's interesting. So I've been here for over 20 years, but I grew up in a lot of different parts of the country. I've got four kids. One of them is a Trump supporter, specifically, I think because Montclair is liberal, not because he's using his brain, but because he's sort of reacting to what he feels like has been forced down his. His throat. I consider myself independent. I definitely am left on some issues and more conservative on others. I do think Montclair in general has more free thinkers, and I choose to be here for a reason.

[Mike]

All right, I am here with Joe and Sue. Joe, you have a MAGA cap on. I take that to mean you were supporting President Trump in this victory. How do you feel about today?

[Joe]

Happy. They tried to kill him. They tried to throw him in jail. Nothing worked. Then he got in.

[Mike]

You feel like the Democrats tried to kill him.

[Joe]

It's very questionable. It seems kind of odd that it happened twice and they didn't find out what happened with the person or who. Who he really was. He got cremated really, really quickly, and it's kind of odd that that happened.

[Mike]

Okay. And, sue, how do you feel about today?

[Sue]

I don't know. I. I'm a little bit.

[Gabriela Tutalo]

See, we.

[Ali]

We.

[Sue]

He and I share a lot of the same views, but, like, I play very close to the vest. I. I don't really speak a lot about it. I don't try to, like, debate anybody about anything. I just like to watch and listen, and I have my own expectations and a lot. I feel like a lot of this stuff that is being said, a lot of it could be conspiracy. I think overall, there's a lot of distrust in the government, especially in, like, the past decade. So I don't really know what to expect or think at this point. I mean, I'm hopeful. I have my things. I worry about Trump, but more than that, I do support him more than most of the other candidates I've seen, and especially Biden.

[Mike]

So what I picked up on what you're saying is, like, there's no source material, really, that anybody trusts anymore. Or at least there's always source material that people don't trust. You know what I mean? Which creates a problem in terms of having a shared reality, which is, I feel like the era we live in. Do you feel that in Montclair at all being Trump supporters, which I feel like is a minority around here. Do you feel like you're living in a different reality than folks?

[Joe]

Well, coming here last month, all right, we did notice most of the homes had Harris Walt signs up. I didn't see any Trump signs, so that was a little bit discouraging.

[Mike]

Did that come up in conversation at all with folks or was it just like you guys just noticed it?

[Joe]

One of the patrons at the bar actually didn't like my Trump hat.

[Ali]

So.

[Joe]

So, so he. So he started the conversation and I have. I have no problem listening to his views, but when I was trying to give him my views, it was like talking like a brick wall.

[Mike]

So that's Tierneys. And I'm going to be going back there, I think, more and more to talk to people about whatever it is we're talking about on this show. We. We got into it with a few of those folks and everybody was very gracious and. And open.

[Ali]

I'm curious if they had been playing the inauguration on the screens. What do you think? Like, was that. You think that was intentional?

[Mike]

Well, if you go to Tierney's, it's pretty much always sports on all of those TVs, so I wouldn't presume anything in terms of today, although I did. I do think Harry Potter. There was a Harry Potter movie. One of the TVs. See, they did have Harry Potter.

[Ali]

It is editorialized. I mean, come they're choices.

[Mike]

Yeah, I half expected there to be something going on there, but there really wasn't. There was a guy at the bar who I did speak to who had a maga hat on some of that, but even he wasn't like, put it on television. I need to see it. He was happy to watch it on his phone.

[Ali]

Sounded like they just wanted to see him walk the walk now, not just talk it.

[Mike]

The vibe I got from some folks was like, just fix this shit right now. Like, I'm not. I'm not excited about any of this. Just fix it.

[Farnooche]

The two eyes, immigration and inflation, right?

[Mike]

Yeah. But closing down the border and cutting.

[Ali]

Off cheap labor and then raising tariffs.

[Mike]

And those are both things that will make things more expensive, conceivably. And so there is a disconnect between this desire to get prices down, which is understandable, and some of the practical implications of these economic policies.

[Farnooche]

Well, I mean, I do think that some people see tariffs and they think, oh, that'll be an instant injection of capital or cash for the country.

[Mike]

It depends. Like if there's comparable American products that can, as a result of these tariffs, be cheaper? But, like, I mean, when's the last time you bought a TV in American television?

[Ali]

I was at Walmart this weekend. It was like 299 for a gigantic television.

[Mike]

It's so crazy to me that a TV with all of those parts is so much cheaper than a freaking faucet. Like a nice faucet. Just you look at a faucet and look at a television. And what is harder to make TVs.

[Farnooche]

Some of them with a little frame around them, they're.

[Ali]

We digress. Let's move on.

[Farnooche]

So, yeah, these interviews that you did at Tierney certainly tee us up for our next Voice in the Show. Right now we're going to turn to an interview with Michael D. Byrne, who is a Montclair native and he chairs the Montclair Republican County Committee and has extensive experience in political campaigns nationwide.

[Ali]

I actually learned about Byrne when I was looking up articles about Republicans in Montclair, and he appeared in an NJ.com article from last fall. There was apparently a rally on Church street right before the election. Montclairians for Trump. He was there and, and he was quoted as saying that some supporters in Montclair don't always feel safe to announce their affiliation with Trump. So I looked him up, emailed him. He was very quick to respond. We got into it. We talked about his relationship to Montclair. We talked about some of the key policies that he likes out of Trump's camp and that he thinks are particularly good for Montclairans. If we're going to see these signs, Montclair for Trump, like, what are we actually talking about? Here's our talk. Michael D. Byrne, welcome to the Montclair pod.

[Michael D. Byrne]

Glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

[Ali]

Tell us a little bit about your relationship to Montclair. I was reading that you are a lifer here.

[Michael D. Byrne]

I am third generation. My father, my uncle grew up here. My mother was the first woman to be a reporter at the Montclair Times and became assistant editor. It was a great, great upbringing in the 80s. A Northeast elementary school in Mount Hebron and ultimately the high school. It's been a privilege, really, to be a part of the Montclair community for 45 years.

[Ali]

We wanted to have you on the show because we wanted to understand the perspective of what it's like to be a Republican in Montclair. What aspects of Trump's leadership resonate most with you and the supporters that you, that you work with in Montclair?

[Michael D. Byrne]

Well, first of all, I'll Say it's not for the faint of heart, let's put it that way. I think the town has changed over the years. Obviously, it's changed nowadays. You know, you'll have a basically a voter performance in the presidential election about 88 to 12 or 89 to 11. But interestingly enough, during municipal elections, it really doesn't play out that way. More conservative candidates without the labels of Democrat and Republican certainly outperform the way Republicans perform. We had a Republican councilman in the first ward for three terms when he first ran, I was the campaign manager of a different slate that had no Republicans on it, but ran a very, very aggressive, you know, reduce the debt, fiscally conservative campaign. We drove the message of the entire campaign for all three slates in 2012 and had 30% share of the vote. So I think there are certainly elements of the town that are, you know, very conservative. The America first message is, I think, what resonates with most Republicans in Montclair. It's what resonates with a lot of new constituencies that came into the Republican Party or the, at least the Republican Vote column this year.

[Ali]

You have a really sort of unique perch. You have this local relationship with Montclair. You've also worked on political campaigns nationally. And so my question is, what are some of the local issues here that you feel align or maybe even contrast with Trump's broader political platform? I kind of want to make that connection for listeners.

[Michael D. Byrne]

Excellent question. The issues that align, the issues that contrast. The issue that I guess would contrast most right now is this flag issue. You're going to see increasing controversy with that. I think the president's message of America first, sort of almost a John F. Kennedy message of a rising tide, lifts all boats, no matter who you are here in America. That contrasts with the idea of putting up flags that are not the flag, let's put it that way. And so that's certainly a big contrast where Trump's message might align. To think that through a little bit. Well, there's certainly a significant cohort in town very much against war, whether it's the war in Israel or the war in Ukraine or foreign wars generally.

[Ali]

What's been your experience and what are you hearing from other Republicans in town about living here? I remember reading in NJ.com when you were at the rally in October, they had quoted you as saying that it's sometimes difficult to navigate the town and even feel safe in the town to come out as Republican and specifically a supporter of Trump.

[Michael D. Byrne]

Well, that's. That's a little bit True. I mean, just sort of a couple anecdotes. You know, we have a member of the Republican club that left town, felt he had to leave town because his daughters were being bullied at Mount Hebron. And he felt at least that there was really no coming back from that. I've certainly heard from others about, you know, students at the high school that have had concerns about speaking up. That certainly was not the case when I graduated in 1998. We were certainly a minority, but, you know, the conservative point of view wasn't bullied in any, in any way. One issue that came up with me this year, I had some flags on the back of my car and I was physically attacked in the middle of Valley Road simply for displaying the flags to the point that it went to court and the offender was fined $1,500. He was really dressed down by the judge and the prosecutor assessed a fifteen hundred dollar fine and compelled to write a letter of apology. Certainly others are concerned about what they can say on social media posts. That should be basically the town square for Montclair issues. So yeah, there's, there's certainly some intimidation.

[Ali]

In terms of these national policy proposals. How do you see that playing out in towns like Montclair? Potentially people can be scared, especially immigrants, especially people who are getting IEPs from their public schools. Dismantling the Department of Education, if it happens, that does make states far more vulnerable from a funding perspective and a resource perspective.

[Michael D. Byrne]

The Department of Education is the newest department that we have, well, aside from Homeland Security. And so it's, you know, what, 40, 45 years old, certainly on my side of the aisle. We see no reason for it. It's, you know, basically see it as an unconstitutional department. And what service does it provide? I mean, how have educational outcomes improved on the issue of immigration? We simply have to have a border. People have to come in and out legally. Can't have the chaos at the border.

[Ali]

I want to talk a little bit more about the community dynamics here. There are some misperceptions on both sides of the aisle, right, about everybody who has a political view. We have these assumptions of how they live, who they are. What, what would you want to communicate to Democrats in town about the Republicans?

[Michael D. Byrne]

I guess, number one, that it's our town too. We enjoy living here. We all moved here for one reason or another. Whether it was the schools or commute or the train line or, you know, the trees and the, the historic architecture or whatever the case, or we were born here. But you know, I do think that from my Perspective, you know, the conservative viewpoint, the Republican viewpoint needs to be sort of listened to a little bit more.

[Ali]

And that's Michael D. Byrne. Let's talk about the assault.

[Mike]

Yeah, that was crazy, huh?

[Ali]

Terrible. And he did follow up and provide us with the police report. It is true, according to the police report, that there was this altercation. He was parked outside of the bank of America on Valley and went to, like, go to the cvs, and on the way there, got approached by this man who was driving a Prius.

[Mike]

Prius pulled up on him.

[Ali]

Prius pulled up on him. And this, this person does live in Montclair. And this person went to sort of make a punch, but didn't and instead spit on him, which we decided is even worse because this is like a post Covid.

[Farnooche]

Like, you can't blow out candles, right?

[Ali]

You can't spit up people. That's disgusting. You can't do that. People. You can't go around threatening people just because of the flags on their car.

[Farnooche]

That's just disgusting, to be quite honest. Like, just to hear about that happening. Yes, we can disagree with our neighbors, but nobody should feel unsafe because they have a political view that differs from their neighbor.

[Mike]

I mean, the whole thing looked like it was out of a Will Ferrell movie. Like, it was just like. I'm just, like, imagining, like, the Prius silently, like, rolling up and. And. And he jumps out.

[Ali]

Yeah. And I don't think it was in the news, which is kind of a missed opportunity, I think, for journalists in town who are covering local news in Montclair. Like, where was this story?

[Mike]

We. Are we breaking this news right now?

[Ali]

Well, it happened. Yeah.

[Farnooche]

Oh, it was. Yeah.

[Ali]

Or last year. I don't know.

[Mike]

It's because we're investigative reporters and it takes time to dig this stuff up.

[Farnooche]

But I think it speaks to. Oh, my gosh, you know, I, I, you know, I felt for him when he was telling us about that assault, or, you know, almost assault or whatever it might be officially, because I do feel like he loves this town.

[Ali]

I have a little PTSD about all this stuff because when I first moved to Montclair, it was 2020, it was election 2020. And I'm driving to a new friend I've made in town, a classmate, one of my sons, her parents. We've gotten to know each other over the course of the school year, and they've now nicely invited us over to their home for a gathering. And we were, you know, it was Covid. So we were all out in their yard and, you know, Throwing a ball and ordering pizza. It was a lot of fun. And on the way to their home, a lot of political signage on lawns, mostly Biden Harris. And so I asked what I thought was a rhetorical question of, hey, does anyone in town actually vote for Trump? And guess what they said?

[Farnooche]

They were, they said, yeah, yeah.

[Ali]

They said, yes, us. And then I, I said, no, no, I don't mean like Republicans. I mean Trump voters. Because I think there's a. Sure, there's a difference. That's my opinion. And they said, yeah, us, because we vote for party, not person. And I thought, okay, I hope I didn't make them feel uncomfortable. I feel like I put my foot in my mouth pretty immediately into moving into this town, and I've learned my lesson. So I was, I will say that I think us airing Michael D. Burns interview, I think it will earn us some people who will leave us a bad review. I'm already prepared for that, you know, because that's just the nature of the Internet.

[Farnooche]

I do think in our 12, the 12% of folks that in town that voted for Trump, you know, they, they pay taxes here, they feel a certain way about the town, and there's no reason why they shouldn't also share why they do believe that he will be good for our country and our town, ultimately.

[Mike]

And I gotta say, I've had more conversations with very liberal friends who have said, if not glowing things, kind of express some respect they have for President Trump insofar as he doesn't give up ever. And he never gives up. It doesn't matter what he has said, what he has been convicted of, doesn't matter. He's not backing down. And there's something to be taken away from that.

[Farnooche]

So shifting gears to some of Trump's sweeping plans. He's talking a big game. But how serious are some of his.

[Ali]

Ideas and what might be the ripple effects of some of these major policy changes that he's proposing? He's proposing bigger tariffs that could impact business owners. He wants stricter immigration laws that may touch the lives of our neighbors. And so we've got some insights from the community.

[Mike]

Let's start with immigration. Farnooch, you recently connected with Dr. Jackie Vimo, and she is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Montclair State.

[Ali]

Yes, Dr. Vemo has been working in immigration policy for over 25 years. Most recently, Dr. Vimo was a senior policy analyst at the National Immigration law Center in D.C. and we began our conversation recognizing that the 2024 election cycle, it Wasn't the first time Trump advocated for mass deportation. This isn't new rhetoric, but it has intensified. And as it's intensified, so has, she says, this fear among the immigrant population, including immigrants living here in Montclair.

[Dr. Jackie Vimo]

I think the biggest looming, kind of scary policy that has been floated is this idea of mass deportations. That's going to have a huge impact psychologically. One of the things that we knew we had last time was that there was a long standing policy called the sensitive locations policy, where there was a promise from immigration enforcement agents to not engage in immigration enforcement in places like schools, in places like churches and mosques and synagogues, in places like hospitals. President Trump has made it clear that he wants to get rid of that policy. And we know that back in 2017, Montclair declared itself a welcoming city and we didn't see the kind of mass enforcement that many of us had feared. But I think it's going to be different this time around. And I think that we're going to have to be prepared for that. The biggest concern that I have and that I think that what we'll see in places like Montclair, statewide and in the region and across the country is people being confused, being scared and taking actions out of fear. Even if the policies don't change.

[Ali]

Why do you think this time is scarier and a potentially bigger threat?

[Dr. Jackie Vimo]

We don't have the same bulwarks that we had last time that kind of kept some of the more radical Trump proposals from going into effect. Congress is in a different place. We also don't have the courts in the same way. One of the things that more hard right Republicans have been very effective in the last few years has been really packing the courts with much more conservative and anti immigrant judges.

[Ali]

What would be your advice, your counsel to not just immigrant population, but everybody in Montclair who is concerned?

[Dr. Jackie Vimo]

I think getting involved with local organizations. There's the New Jersey alliance for Immigrant justice, getting there's wind of the spirit and really educating yourself. One of the things that we do know is that if there does come a moment when we have immigration agents knocking at the door, making sure that people have the correct know your rights information. For example, one of the things that we always say is that immigration agents can't just arbitrarily, at least not under current law, are not allowed to just smash down a door and just arrest everyone who looks like a person of color in the room and take them off to be detained. They're supposed to have a signed warrant from a judge and you shouldn't let anyone into your house unless you see that they have a signed warrant from a judge. Sharing those types of facts, I think is going to be. Was really powerful during the first Trump presidency and I think will continue to be this time around, and also reaching out to their members of Congress.

[Ali]

As a professor at the university, you have a huge immigrant population that you're interacting with daily. Give us a little light onto just how vital and important the immigrant community is to our town.

[Dr. Jackie Vimo]

Immigrants are everywhere in Montclair and including undocumented immigrants. And in the student body, I have a lot of students who are undocumented who have come out to me, as they say, in private, and let me know that either they themselves are undocumented or their family members are undocumented. One of the most common issues that we see is the phenomenon of mixed status families. So the idea that you can target an undocumented population of somewhere between about around 11 million people and not think that's going to have ripple effects on U.S. citizens is just preposterous. My students at Montclair are U.S. citizens. You know what I mean? Or they're Americans. Even if they're not US Citizens, they are deeply American. They don't often speak their language that their parents spoke. They have maybe never even been to the countries that their parents were from. And the idea that you would rip someone out of their home in Montclair and send them to a place they have no connection to is simply preposterous and they're terrified.

[Ali]

What do you tell your students who come to you scared?

[Dr. Jackie Vimo]

I tell them that they need to have contact with an immigration lawyer and they have to have representation. I tell them that they still have rights under the law. I tell them that they need to have a plan, a family plan. They need to have conversations with their family members about what happens if an immigration agent knocks on the door and that they need to have a network of folks to support them. They should have a phone number that they call in case immigration comes to their house. That sets off a chain of support in the community from neighbors, from family members. Find emotional support, too, and make sure that you have folks that you can talk to.

[Ali]

That's Dr. Vimo. One thing that I didn't include in the interview, which I thought was important to state, was that ice, she said, might present a warrant. You know, she said it's very important that if you get a knock on the door and you're afraid, you have to know your rights. And part of that is to know that they need a warrant signed by a judge. And she said that sometimes in her, in her experience, and as I mentioned, she's been working in immigration policy for two and a half decades. She says ICE might present a warrant that looks like it's been signed by a judge, but it's not. You have to look really, really close and there may be a signature, but it's not from a judge. And that can sometimes confuse people.

[Mike]

What are you supposed to do, Google the name of the judge at the moment? I mean, we're going to need, we're going to need a follow up paper on that one.

[Farnooche]

And 13% of Montclair's population being foreign.

[Mike]

Born, and that's not counting how many immigrants work here and support the community in different types of jobs, which I have to imagine is more than 13% of the workforce.

[Farnooche]

All right, up next, let's zoom in on tariffs. So, so fun.

[Ali]

So fun.

[Mike]

I love tariffs. Who doesn't love a tariff, right?

[Ali]

I mean, Trump's called them what they're very beautiful.

[Mike]

Beautiful, most beautiful tariffs you've ever seen.

[Farnooche]

So he didn't talk about specific tariff plans in his inauguration address, which makes some analysts believe he's putting those plans on hold, at least for now. But he did mention his plans to create the External Revenue Service, the ers, a new agency designed to collect massive amounts of tariffs and duties and other revenues from foreign sources.

[Ali]

And yes, Trump has previously talked about, quote, unquote, immediately imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and then a 10% tariff on Chinese goods. Here in Montclair, we have a number of business owners that rely on imports. And in one very special case is Solano. You may have walked past Solano. Have you ever been to.

[Farnooche]

I was there yesterday. I saw it.

[Ali]

You were?

[Farnooche]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali]

So it's right in the atrium where Claridge Theater is. You can't.

[Mike]

Next to Bear Burger.

[Ali]

Yeah, across from Bear Burger. You can't miss it. It's beautiful, vibrant, and Solano. It's a gem. It brings the beauty, culture and craftsmanship of Mexico to Montclair. Practically everything is handmade. And behind all of that is Gabriela Tutallo. She's the founder and owner of Solano, originally from Puebla and immigrated to the Montclair area 12 years ago. She's got a degree in international Trade and commerce. She's got business certificates from Harvard and Columbia. She is in it to win it. So I wanted to stop by her store, which I love so much, to learn about her store's connection to Mexico, but more to understand how she's planning to navigate potential tariffs and a possible increase in her cost of business.

[Gabriela Tutalo]

This is my dream. When I was little, I grew up with so many artisans around all the time in my community. Embroidery with a lot of talented artisans. And my mom used to help them all the time. I was thinking, mommy, one day I would like to help them too. But how can I do that?

[Ali]

Gabriela Tutalo grew up in Puebla, Mexico. She was inspired by the artisans in her community, people whose crafts often supported their families, but they weren't valued as they deserved to be. That dream of helping artisans led her to study logistics and trade, move to Montclair, and eventually open Solano, a small boutique inside the atrium along Church Street.

[Gabriela Tutalo]

Finally, the dream came true. Not only to open the store, not only to help the artisans, but keep preserving the traditions of Mexico and showing the world that Mexico is not just sombreros, maracas and guacamole. There is so many more things about Mexico as you see here, designing a lot of young artisans and their children doing beautiful things.

[Ali]

Tutalo's dedication to authenticity and culture has made Solano a standout in Montclair, where every new business seems to be a coffee shop, a gym or a bank. Inside the boutique, visitors find a mix of home decor, jewelry and textiles, each with their own story.

[Gabriela Tutalo]

Currently, I'm working with 36 families. Those 36 families, I know where they live, I know how they work, I know how long time they put in every project. I make sure that they know all the process behind not just the making the products, but how they can export also how they can accept the those payments that they need. For example, Mr. Javier, the collaboration that we did recently with our candles, this is the first source of income that he has to maintain. He has two kids and also grandkids. His wife is the one that hand paint all that.

[Ali]

Taalo's business relies heavily on imports from Mexico. And with proposed tariffs on the horizon, she's begun strategizing ways to counter the increased operating costs. If your costs went up 20%, what would be the first thing you would do?

[Gabriela Tutalo]

Focus in less products. Do it super, super good. Find ways that we can look for new sources of materials and make collaborations with designers in usa. We have the textiles. We can keep preserving the tradition. Our mission keep going. But it will partner with someone here that can finish the product. Maybe designers or other things that we can collaborate. That's another way to end the product here in USA also and see and test Tutalo.

[Ali]

Goes on to say she's very grateful Solano has a web presence to offset costs. She's hoping to bring in more revenue online as well as through partnerships.

[Gabriela Tutalo]

Thank God we have the website, we have the physical store. Now we have our produce selling in the Museum of Morocco Museum. So that's what we are working, focusing in the mission and then see the ways that we can adapt to the current economy.

[Ali]

You know, when we first spoke, she said she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to continue renting in 2025 in Montclair. We spoke back in December and I was kind of nervous. I reached out to her this month and she said she is here for the year. She was able to work out favorable terms with her landlord and so we're rooting for her and hoping she can continue her mission. Really?

[Farnooche]

Yes. Visit her. Go see a movie at the Claridge.

[Mike]

Okay, so finally, let's touch on some of Trump's plans for the Department of Education. He's proposed dismantling the Department of Education, saying education should be managed at the state and local level. But for those who don't know, the DOE is essential to providing federal oversight and funding, including programs like Title 1, which allocate funds to low income schools and Pell Grants for undergraduate students. The absence of federal support could lead to increased disparities among school districts. This may lead to program reductions, staff layoffs, and diminished resources for students. So in this topic, I spoke with Montclair Board of Education member Jada Rohman. We should state first that Roman's opinions are her own and do not represent the opinion of the Montclair Board of Ed. But she is newly elected and had this to say for families with children who have learning differences or special needs and are currently working with an iep, also known as an individual Education Plan.

[Jada Rohman]

As a parent, 100%, I'm concerned what he's looking to do could be extremely detrimental to students. As a parent, there's multiple things that I've done. One is short up my child's iep. I've made sure that it is tight, it is clean, everything is laid out, the supports are in there. You know, the hours are right, like no mistakes, no anything. The fact that someone would want to dismantle a department that ensures the standards for educating children is in place is just. I'm going to keep it clean. Like, right. We're going to do G rated here. But I think as a district, we have to ensure that we have our processes and standards in place and they are clean. We make sure that our case managers, everything is by the book, everything is in code as a district. Making sure that we have, you know, our curriculums in place. All of those things have to be tight. And I do believe that the staff that's in there now that are inside of our central office are working to do just that. Making sure that we have our textbooks, you know, all of those things we're working towards. I'm hoping that New Jersey, because we are a state who believes in the education of students, I'm hoping that, you know, none of this happens and you know, we don't, we're not too affected by it. But it's also another reason why we have to get a superintendent in place sooner than later because they're going to be responsible to ensure that the day to day still happens regardless of what happens on a national level.

[Farnooche]

You can catch more of that conversation with Roman in an upcoming episode on Montclair Schools. What the heck is going on at our schools?

[Ali]

Let us know your thoughts. We're happy to do a follow up on this topic and we can zoom in further on how our neighbors are feeling. How you're feeling. Leave us a [e-mail] you can also email us at [e-mail] if you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review. It will mean so much to getting our little homegrown local hyperlocal show out there. Your review will mean so much to us and we'll see you next time where Allie said we'll be covering everyone's favorite bus stop topic. The schools. Are they a disaster? Are they great? Are we somewhere in between?

[Farnooche]

Yes to all of that?

[Mike]

Yeah, they're fine. They're just fine. Don't worry, be happy.

[Ali]

We'll see you in town.