The Financial Guys

In this episode of The Financial Guys, hosts Glenn Wiggle and Mike Lomas argue that policies favored by Democratic leadership have left Western New York's economy underdeveloped, pointing to struggling assets like the Walden Galleria and Niagara Falls and to trade that increasingly bypasses the region via the new Gordie Howe Bridge near Detroit. They criticize New York's handling of crime and public safety, react to New York City mayoral politics and a proposed pied-à-terre tax, and characterize progressive economic views as hostile to success. Much of the conversation centers on Governor Kathy Hochul's moratorium on data centers, which the hosts frame as self-defeating in what they describe as an energy-and-AI race between the United States and China. They discuss potential sites like the former Bethlehem Steel property and shuttered power plants in Dunkirk and Somerset, and play a clip of an entrepreneur alleging Chinese-linked funding behind opposition to Utah data-center projects. The episode closes with Mike's market commentary on volatility and rebalancing, followed by a segment in which the hosts contend that figures like Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx should face prosecution over pandemic-era decisions.

00:00:00 - Intro and catching up
00:01:50 - Western New York decline and the Galleria
00:04:43 - Trade bypassing New York, Niagara Falls
00:07:32 - NYC mayoral politics and the pied-à-terre tax
00:10:32 - Hochul's data center moratorium and the US-China AI race
00:15:16 - Where to build data centers: Bethlehem Steel, Dunkirk, Somerset
00:20:15 - Utah data centers and alleged Chinese-linked funding
00:29:17 - Market volatility and rebalancing
00:31:45 - Fauci, Birx, and calls for prosecution
00:39:44 - Closing and services

Hosts Michael Shaver and Jack Haxton open with a series of violent attacks abroad, walking through the timeline of an Islamic terrorist who carried out a machete attack at a German pride parade despite prior arrests, along with a separate stabbing of three women in Paris, and using both cases to argue for tougher sentencing, more prisons and mental institutions, and the value of Second Amendment rights and concealed carry. They then turn to New York City, where they critique Mayor Mamdani's city-owned grocery store plan on supply-and-demand grounds, run through the deficit and startup cost figures, and review his campaign promise tracker, including the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, gender-affirming care funding, ending ICE cooperation, and landlord enforcement, framing these as misplaced priorities relative to repeat-offender crime. The pair also revisit the Salamanca school district's now-halted AI teacher program, arguing AI should partner with rather than replace teachers while raising concerns about teacher pay, pensions, and Tier 6 retirement rules. They close on the Israel-Iran conflict, its effect on the markets and the upcoming midterms, and reported threats against the Trump family, before noting their own work integrating AI into their financial advising practice.

00:00:00 - Welcome back
00:00:24 - Germany pride parade machete attack and attacker's timeline
00:03:53 - Vigil controversy and political response to the attack
00:05:59 - Paris stabbing of three women
00:07:40 - Second Amendment, concealed carry, and prisons vs. community programs
00:10:15 - Mamdani's city-owned grocery stores and the economics
00:14:31 - Mamdani promise tracker and campaign priorities
00:19:11 - Salamanca AI teacher program halted, teachers and pensions
00:25:13 - Israel-Iran conflict, markets, and threats to the Trump family

Mike Lomas hosts this week with Glenn Wiggle out, welcoming advisor Jack Haxton for his first podcast appearance, with a push to feature more of producer Ann Horan going forward. Haxton opens with the cancellation of Buffalo's 11th annual World Naked Bike Ride, called off over threats of violence, and the two react to organizers' framing of public nudity as protected protest against oil dependency and inequality, with Lomas arguing such displays cross a line when children are present. The conversation turns to Salamanca schools testing an AI educational robot named Sally, prompting Lomas to reflect on how much AI has changed his own daily problem-solving, from checking whether his daughter's medication was gluten-free to tackling home projects himself. He and Haxton discuss why America needs to lead on AI and where data centers should be built, then shift to wealth-building, where Lomas shares the story of a friend whose $50-a-month contribution grew to $265,000 over three decades and makes the case for starting young, staying consistent, and rebalancing rather than chasing the market. The episode closes with the hosts criticizing Governor Kathy Hochul's remark that small upstate communities lack the sophistication to negotiate with major tech companies, which Lomas counters by praising the business acumen of local farmers, before broader jabs at Zohran Mamdani, critiques of capitalism, and figures like Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders.

00:00:00 - Intro: Jack Haxton joins, Glenn off
00:02:01 - Buffalo Naked Bike Ride canceled
00:07:37 - Robot teachers and AI in schools
00:09:09 - AI as an everyday learning tool
00:16:33 - US leadership in AI and data centers
00:17:15 - The case for investing early
00:21:51 - Rebalancing and taking profits
00:23:16 - Hochul's "unsophisticated upstate" remarks
00:26:22 - Capitalism, Mamdani, and the left
00:28:35 - Closing and sign-off

Glenn Wiggle and Mike Hoeflich open with weather banter and a preview of The Financial Guys' client appreciation event, expected to draw well over a thousand people. From there the conversation turns political: the abrupt resignation of Buffalo Public Schools superintendent Pascal Mubenga and the naming of Ebony Prophet Bullock as interim, which the hosts use to argue against DEI-driven hiring and in favor of merit, citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. They walk through a Liz Peek column on affordability in Democrat-run states, debate why Florida landed among the most expensive states, and cover the push to eliminate Florida property taxes, Albany's growing budget deficit, and Buffalo's Moody's downgrade. The back half gets more combative, with critiques of how local media frame ICE shootings and police statistics, a clip of Senator Alyssa Slotkin on the SAVE Act, and an extended stretch of speculation tying various political deaths and the Trump assassination attempt to a supposed deep state. Glenn closes with his theory that Democratic policy is designed to keep voters poor and dependent.

00:00:00 - Welcome back
00:01:50 - Client appreciation event preview
00:03:25 - Buffalo schools superintendent steps down; DEI hiring debate
00:06:08 - Scott Bessent and the case for merit-based hiring
00:07:17 - Blue-state costs, the "affordability" pitch, and why Florida ranks high
00:14:13 - Florida's plan to scrap property taxes
00:18:39 - Albany's deficit and Buffalo's Moody's downgrade
00:21:00 - Bryant Park "utopia," police stats, and ICE-shooting coverage
00:27:00 - SAVE Act clip and theories on suspicious political deaths
00:34:57 - The "party of the poor" thesis

Mike Lomas and Mike Hoeflich open with a mid-2026 stock market check-in, discussing the Dow's best mid-year run since 2021 and why Wall Street isn't rattled by overseas tensions. They dig into why the market matters to Main Street, not just Wall Street, covering pensions versus 401(k)s and the "pay yourself first" mindset, before connecting AI's spread into other sectors to 250 years of American innovation. From there they break down the Supreme Court's ruling allowing states to count ballots received after Election Day, make the case for restricting Congressional stock trading, and swing into World Cup soccer and their Bills and Sabres fandom. The back half covers a heated Congressional clash over transgender bathroom policy and decorum, homelessness and public safety, and a Bill Maher clip on how visiting World Cup fans are reacting to America ahead of its 250th birthday. They close out by plugging the July 7th Wings of Hope Super Cruise Night at Lancaster Speedway, held in memory of a 14-year-old who passed away from brain cancer.

00:00:24 – Intro & mid-2026 market check-in
00:01:39 – Why the market matters to Main Street (pensions, 401(k)s, paying yourself first)
00:06:05 – AI's spread across sectors & 250 years of American innovation
00:10:08 – Supreme Court ruling on late-arriving mail ballots
00:12:50 – The case for restricting Congressional stock trading
00:14:49 – World Cup soccer, Bills and Sabres fandom
00:16:21 – Congressional clash over transgender bathroom policy and decorum
00:20:44 – Homelessness, public safety, and political accountability
00:23:38 – Bill Maher's take & World Cup tourists reacting to America
00:33:59 – Independence Day tribute & July 7th Wings of Hope Cruise Night

Mike Lomas and Mike Hoeflich (joined by Mocha on the leather couch) open with JD Vance's appearance on The View and whether conservatives like Lee Zeldin should chase that kind of exposure. They knock the price tag and prison-like look of the new Obama Presidential Center, mark another violent Father's Day weekend in Chicago, and marvel at World Cup visitors discovering America is nothing like the oppressive place the media describes. Mike Lomas breaks down the SpaceX stock debut, why an IPO doesn't open at its offering price, and why a name like that is a 10-to-15-year hold rather than a morning trade, with a detour into how fast the AI chip sector now moves. A long nostalgia run covers dead retailers like Bells, Ames, Twin Fair, Gold Circle, and the Swiss Chalet sauce addiction, plus a gripe about vanished retail customer service. They close on Dr. Puthoff's four alien species, Hochul's healthcare expansion, Trump's John James endorsement, and a serious take on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

00:00:00 The View, JD Vance, and the "no experience" campaign pitch
00:04:45 Obama Presidential Center: cost, criticism, and the hypocrisy
00:08:06 Chicago's violent Father's Day weekend
00:10:08 World Cup, Messi, and why visitors love America
00:13:11 SpaceX stock: how IPOs really open and the long-term play
00:17:12 AI chip volatility and dead brands (Bells, Ames, Swiss Chalet)
00:23:01 The decline of retail customer service
00:26:50 Four alien species and pink-haired algae activists
00:30:03 Hochul's healthcare bill and the John James endorsement
00:32:47 Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and a Western NY summer sign-off

Mike Sperrazza, Mike Lomas, and Glenn Wiggle open on the UFC Freedom 250 card staged at the White House over Trump's birthday weekend, then break down the left's "no one left behind" counter-programming videos. The conversation turns to Elon Musk becoming the first trillionaire and the wave of envy it kicked off, with the guys working through wealth-tax pitches from Elizabeth Warren, AOC, and Bernie Sanders, including Sanders' proposal to take a 50% stake in AI companies for a government wealth fund. They get into Sanders' own three homes and best-selling anti-capitalism books, the eightfold jump in student loan debt after the government took over lending, the slide in U.S. education rankings since the Education Department was created, and Zohran Mamdani's finances. Also in the mix: Iran and the oil blockade, Bible-verse caps on the San Francisco Giants, the Gavin Newsom investigation, and FBI child-trafficking rescues.

00:00 — UFC Freedom 250 at the White House and Trump's birthday
03:00 — The left's "no one left behind" counter-programming songs
06:00 — Collectivism, envy, and Elon Musk as the first trillionaire
12:00 — Elizabeth Warren and AOC on the wealth tax
18:00 — Iran, the oil blockade, and ceasefire prospects
20:00 — Bible-verse caps on the Giants and politics in sports
22:00 — The Newsom investigation, J6 prosecutions, and FBI trafficking rescues
25:00 — Immigration enforcement and the "Maryland dad"
30:00 — Bernie Sanders' three homes and his 50% tax on AI stock
42:00 — Student loans, the Education Department, and Mamdani's finances

Recorded the morning after Glenn Wiggle's Monday-night prediction came true, Mike Sperrazza and Glenn dig into the Los Angeles mayor's race, where a little-known socialist candidate vaulted past Karen Bass on the strength of mail-in batches that broke almost entirely her way, many of them traced to Skid Row. They walk through James O'Keefe's undercover footage of NGO workers collecting and forging ballots, then tie the pattern to older fights like Al Franken's Senate win and Allen West's lost Florida seat, and to Gavin Newsom's cryptic "break the glass" remark. From there the conversation moves to California's mail-in rules and ghost voter rolls, the federal indictment accusing the Southern Poverty Law Center of funneling millions to extremist groups, and a Kathy Hochul clip on ICE and the Minneapolis killings. The guys close on George Floyd, repeat offenders slipping through the courts, and why families keep trading New York for Florida.

00:00 – Welcome and recap of the LA mayor's race prediction

01:16 – Mail-in ballot anomalies and the Skid Row vote surge

04:25 – James O'Keefe's undercover ballot-harvesting footage 15:55 – A pattern going back to Al Franken and Allen West

19:41 – Gavin Newsom's "break the glass" comment

25:20 – California's voting laws and ghost voter rolls

30:00 – The SPLC indictment and alleged extremist-group funding

35:21 – Kathy Hochul, ICE, and the Minneapolis fallout

41:40 – George Floyd, repeat offenders, and the courts

47:10 – Why people are leaving New York for Florida

Mike Sperrazza and Mike Lomas go off the cuff this week, opening with the bizarre San Francisco YMCA story where a man exposed himself in the women's bathroom and the city's response was to ask people to limit their nakedness rather than enforce basic rules. They dig into the six-year anniversary of George Floyd and the coordinated left-wing messaging around it, the double standard applied when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduced Donald Trump at a rally, and the latest round of unhinged reactions to Trump's hospital visit. The guys break down Hunter Biden's new Twitter account and his sobriety announcement (with a perfect Laura Loomer reply), Hillary Clinton's cringeworthy intro for Kathy Hochul claiming free school meals and money in New Yorkers' pockets, and Bernie Sanders railing against the oligarchy while owning three homes on a $174,000 salary. Mike and Mike tackle Gavin Newsom's dubious claim that California homelessness dropped 9 percent, get into Spencer Pratt's take on what actually helps addicts versus the NGO grift, and Mike Sperrazza shares a frustrating weekend story about unionized little league umpires demanding 30-minute breaks between kids' games. They close with thoughts on the passing of NASCAR's Kyle Busch at 41 and the importance of balance in life and finances.

00:24 - San Francisco YMCA bathroom story

01:38 - Six-year anniversary of George Floyd and coordinated left messaging

06:56 - Jaxson Dart introduces Trump, gets attacked online

09:24 - Gunshots outside the White House and De Niro's unhinged rant

12:47 - Hunter Biden's sobriety tweet and Laura Loomer's response

14:31 - Hillary Clinton's intro for Kathy Hochul

21:30 - Game time: guessing California's homelessness drop under Newsom

28:43 - Bernie Sanders fighting the oligarchy from his three homes

35:00 - Unionized little league umpires and the problem with unions

42:43 - NASCAR's Kyle Busch passes at 41

Glenn Wiggle welcomes back Dr. Andrew Paquette, an independent research analyst whose forensic analysis of public voter registration databases across more than a dozen states has produced seven peer-reviewed publications documenting hidden algorithms embedded in state voter rolls. Paquette walks through the critical distinction between voter fraud (isolated individuals casting illegal ballots) and election fraud (corruption built into the system itself), explaining how he's identified roughly 1.5 million current illegal "clone" records in New York alone, plus another half million deleted ones. He details a particularly damning find from the recent Texas Republican primary between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, where an algorithm took a genuine check-in list of 735 voters and generated 4,110 fake records with assigned ID numbers. The conversation digs into why this matters more than the headline vote totals, the SEC's "threshold of materiality" standard that would never tolerate this level of corruption in the corporate world, why 23 states have refused federal requests for voter roll data, how Letitia James personally shut down a citizen audit in New York by threatening criminal charges, and why Paquette believes the real fix isn't litigating individual races but refusing to certify future elections until the infrastructure is repaired. Glenn and Andrew also get into why both parties seem uninterested in cleaning this up, the problem of unopposed judicial races in New York, and what El Salvador's judicial overhaul might teach us.

00:00:24 - Introducing Dr. Andrew Paquette and his voter roll research

00:03:38 - Voter fraud vs. election fraud, and why one gets investigated and the other doesn't

00:07:13 - The "threshold of materiality" and why courts use the wrong standard

00:14:00 - Federal requests for voter data and the 23 states refusing to comply

00:18:11 - The Texas Cornyn/Paxton primary algorithm that generated 4,110 fake records

00:22:26 - Why the Save Act stalls and the case that both parties benefit from the system

00:26:24 - The 2022 New York races, Hochul, Letitia James, and Zeldin

00:31:20 - Data validation, the simple fix nobody implements

00:38:03 - 2 million illegal records in New York and Tish James shutting down the citizens audit

00:46:11 - The El Salvador model, captured institutions, and unopposed judicial races