How School Security Bidding Falls Short

Process is full. I think that I think that if legislators knew the way that the law was written and how it's being slide, and that when there is something wrong, the method to bring that up. Right? If If if you only get three minutes and there's no other media, no other form for you to convey your message, You gotta understand, like, we're we're reaching out well in advance of the school board meeting. I mean, we tried. We collectively between the other three know, I now know that we all three tried to reach out to, the consultant. And all three tried to reach out to the school. And all of those calls went unanswered. It's just that I took a whole another step in my process and documented it. Right. Right. I mean, we We we tech we use technology and we documented those calls. There is absolutely no way that they can refute we called in this call to return. Even say that they did their due diligence when they never even set up the interviews to talk to you. The process was falling out of the gate and it they just doubled down with it over and over again. So this particular consultant You said they're heavy in schools. Right? It's all they do. It's all they do is schools. Mhmm. Why do you think that that districts continue to utilize them? I honestly don't know. Right? Other than it's it's one of the names. Right? It's it's, you know, if you had to name somebody in here. It's one of the names that you see. It the other thing that's frustrating is is that all architects and and consultants and engineers, they have, an E and O policy errors and emissions. Mhmm. And so many times we get into a building that wasn't built right, a situation where this didn't work right on paper. It looked like that, but you get out there and look at it and it's not there. Some project that we've been a part of and you look at it, and it causes a tremendous amount of work. And when the conversation about a change order, because this is not right, comes up. It's it's implied that everybody should have known. Right? But the person who's actually responsible for that was that architect or that engineer. They're the ones who put their engineering stamp. They're the ones who are the professional that are supposed to look at these things and analyze that and say this is the way it's best to go. I have never been involved in in twenty plus years of doing this. Been in a situation where a school district calls the architect and engineering furring out there's a claim filed. Right? That this was your job we hired you for. You missed it. It caused this much and damages from change orders, we're gonna file follow-up on your policy. Either you pay for this or you call your insurance company, but this is you For whatever reason, school districts are will not pull the trigger on that. And I don't understand why. I don't understand how these consultants continue to get a pass off of their mistakes. Right? And the reality is is that in this district that we're talking about, they're not gonna see the fruits of this of this project and how bad this really is for three years. Right? Well, these things that were nine hundred and fifty days. Yeah. They're complete. Three years. Yeah. They're not gonna see how bad this is. How how far They gave up concessions to get down. And by the time they get to the final installation, they're gonna have to start replacing the initial. It it's a mess, man, because of the way that it was constructed and spec'd out. And they're gonna find that, you know, hey, we're just basically getting new stuff where our old stuff was at. It it it's it could be done so much better. And and we're just seeing people who are just going through the motions. I mean, how many schools have we gone to where we've seen that, you know, and it it that's not just schools. Facilities that we've gone to that it's it's the wash rinse repeat cycle. Everyone, you mean, it is and it's like, okay. What was the architect firm on? Okay. It makes sense. It's this architect. We see the same word. Like, we went to, and I'm gonna hold back some information here, but we went to an extremely large facility. Oh, I know which one. They don't have any documentation. Yeah. They have zero documentation. Yeah. It is a ginormous facility. One of the biggest. And there's no records of it. Right? How how did that happen in the union? It's one of the largest general contractors, one of the largest architects, one of the largest engineering firm. And I think I personally called all three. Nobody has any records. There's no records of of where the systems are and how they're done. But how how does that happen? You know what, all those allegations that were made against me, what saved me? Documentation. You know who did it? This guy? Because they made allegations that they didn't get everything that we had signed on to. And And those auditors were blown away. And they walked into our conference room. We had stack of all the email correspondence and date order, we had every we had our contract on one table we had our plans that what we started with. The plans that we went over every single plan, CAD drawings, every single location of every single thing that we put in place. Oh, I guess worse than that. I had that. I had every every single purchase order. I had every single packing slip that we had received the product from the manufacturer. The next table we had over was every single invoice then we had every single check where we paid the invoice. Mhmm. Then we had the actual as built plans where changed and where we move things. Mhmm. The final acceptance documents, the final plans that we gave, And then we had video and screenshots showing the live video from every single one, along with the health reports, that tied to in a spreadsheet, the serial numbers on the product in the beginning. Did we know what we're doing, man? It was and and the auditors looked in here and they were like, I've never seen anything with this level of detail. Yeah. We know what we're doing there. Every single solitary camera, that was sold. They proved was installed, was purchased, installed, and work working. Yeah. Forensically, access control. They proved it. Absolutely. Every over fifteen hundred doors in our district. Not a one off. Yeah. How many apologies did you get for those wrong full accusations? I got one. I got one apology. Do you And that was from the individual that had been harassing me based upon information that was being provided from the same district in which I was an elected school board member of I got one apology from the man who had been harassing me Mhmm. Who now were friends And it was him that said, this is wrong. The this is incorrect. And it it was him that called for the forensics audit, which backed fired on the individuals that were making the false allegations that I had somehow misappropriated those funds and that you were in Kahoots with me and that had been struck and it was proven in the forensics audit because we had the documentation. We had the record. And the problem was is they just couldn't handle the way that we spoke. They didn't like it. You know? Yeah. We spoke the truth. Yeah. And so, you know, It's, it's a shame that the process is extremely flawed. You know, you work your tail off. Think about this. Right. It it's it's not only that it's flawed. You know, some of these school districts that we work so hard to get them the money. And they went out for the taxpayers and and they got the money. Right? And they've been sitting on it for years. What happens if something happens at one of these districts? I don't know because we have we have clients right now that have been sitting on money that we help them get Well, this district that I was just talking about that they awarded a little bit. Yeah. It took them over a year and a half through this consultant process. To get to this point. A year and a half, they've had this money in their bank that's drawing more interest, taxpayer dollars that's drawing more interest. K. And then now it's gonna take another three years to get it done. So bond is elected. We need school security. We need school security. We need school security. As a taxpayer, you need to know the way that the current process is, you aren't gonna see it for five years. Doesn't make any sense. Especially when there are qualified vendors out there who can do it who know the products and can do it in less time. And there is no wait on the scoring sheet for a length of installation. None. Well, I mean, if you look at, I can think of a client that we're working with right now that we've been working with since May, June of twenty twenty two. That they went out for a bond in, May of twenty twenty three. Based upon the numbers that we put together, in the proposals and the scope of work that we built. Mhmm. And we're ready to go to work. We we have product in hand we're ready to go to work, and they hired an individual to oversee the project who has the purse strings now that all of a sudden is essentially implying that we're gonna have to bid for our own work at this point. Well, look, there is a certain certain point to that that there's gonna be somebody who oversees. There's gonna be a, you know, an a, an architect, some consultant, somebody who's gonna dole the the the project dollars out within AIA, and they're gonna make sure that everything's set up. There has to be there has to be control. I actually don't have any problem with that. What I have problem with is that, now we have another person who has their own bias that they're putting on here that hasn't been involved in the project up until this point. Yes. And so, you know, ultimately, I think that there's, you know, an opportunity where we're gonna be able to convey that and and be able to, you know, express where we're at and where we're headed and why and and and I have a good feeling about it. It is it is frustrating in the delay, but we'll see. I mean, I I maybe, you know, collecting social security by the time that that happens. I think it's gonna happen faster than you think. We'll see. But These other ones? I don't know. They're, we'll see. It's definitely interesting. The whole process needs a complete there's so much discretion and there's so much authority given to, chief financial officers in certain districts Well, I I think that there should be a a a standard, set on how there needs to be transparency on how things are done. Basically, the only thing that's the state of Texas says is that you have to publish whatever your scoring matrix is. Ironically, many, many, many schools in their request for proposals don't even publish a scoring matrix. Right? So according to the purchasing laws, that alone invalidates the process. Right. There's no rules on on Okay. Let's say let's just say just that you could literally have on your scoring matrix. They drive a blue and white van. And that's that's worth eighty points. Well, but here's the thing. Let's say that it's let's say this is based on dollars. Okay. Let's say that you have a project that you've been for five million. Right? Mhmm. And, you know, that's let's say it's fifty five point Okay? Five million, you get, a forty eight, okay, out of fifty five. The next guy comes in at four point five. Okay. So he's half a million dollars less. He gets fifty five points. Right. What determined that you got forty eight and not fifty four. They don't tell you how they do them that. Because there is no matrix. There's no there's no formula for that. Right. You know how I know that? Because I did it. Yeah. At the district, we had a matrix. Yeah. There was really no there was really no guidelines on what score equals what? How much percentage gap between the two prices? Well, and what was interesting is in this specific example that we started this conversation with when they were when when the IT director and the consultant were pressed in in the open session about that matrix and how did that work? They quickly shut shut it down. Well, I'd like to know that if if if the other three, companies that were within eight percent, I would like to know what each one of your score was on price. Right. Was it within a certain point margin? Well, we we all know that, like, the next closest was sixty nine. So they were in eighty seven. The next closest was eighty seven. Well, sixty nine. Sixty nine was the next closest and the one who won it was eighty seven. So that differential, if all things were the same, and we know that that's sixty nine, this one that got an eighty seven, they were missing eight points on reputational loan. Well, one of the thing well, exact They were missing eight points already alone. Right? So I know that on that matrix, at least the one that we had, and I'm assuming that it probably on all of them throughout the throughout the state is are you a, a minority owned business. Okay? What the hell does that matter? Does it really matter? I mean, we just saw the striking of affirmative action in the United States, but this does not apply to that. I I filled out, a hub subcontracting form for a major university today. I have been in meetings here in Houston with a city run organization, where in the prebid meeting, they started out the conversation, made an introduction themselves. If you're not a hub. If you are not a hub owned company right now You're out. You need to know you will not win business from this organization and up and leave. And so tell me how that's fair to an individual like me who has bootstrapped my company financed it all by myself. I've not had any loans. No no SBA no lines of credit, no nothing. How is that fair to a man like me who has created a business who's doing good things all by myself. And I lose out to someone who may be less qualified because they're a hub business. How's that fair? It isn't. It isn't fair. And and it's so this is one of those things where you you come back to, people flat out saying that you're a white male, you already have an advantage in the world. And therefore, this is the equal, equalizing equalizer. The problem is is that when you when you apply that carte blanche cross across the business, what ends up happening is that, guys who meet your description, now turn around and take and put the business in their wife's name. Right? And and so then they come back in and they they say it's woman owned business. We have recently seen some organizations within Texas that said our diversity program isn't diverse enough. So, so much percentage is, black owned business, so much as Hispanic, so much as women owned, we don't have enough disabled veteran or, Indian, right, in the in the other categories that are in there. And so they have taken the diversity so far that now they put weight on, not only are are do you have to be a hub, but if you are an Indian owned business or a, a disabled veteran, you're gonna get preferential treatment. But here's the thing, Mike. This is real discussion here. Does being a Indian owned business, a disabled veteran business a woman owned business, any other minority, African American business owner. Does that make you more qualified? It doesn't. But, what these organizations have done is they have direct set asides They have goals, one hundred percent. So, the organization I told you about within the business, they had the highest diversity rating for business. So all of their their business was over there. What's interesting is is that the same organization had to end up taking a bailout from the city because of of her spending. Right? And was going to shut down a major operation within the city. So whether that was, you know, the, the proven incompetence of whatever bidders they selected or mismanagement thereof of funds. However, that shook out whatever the root cause was. Their management of money led to a bailout, right, of of services that citizens in the city of Houston needed. So, we have seen time and time again where this this doesn't work, but, you know, there are many organizations have at least a thirty percent, goal of all business must be with a hub. Thirty percent across the board, and they, many of them have set personal goals to exceed fifty percent. Will correct me if I'm wrong, but I just did a quick Google search. My apologies for being on my phone during the podcast, but the company that you guys lost, this bid to. They're a minority owned business. Correct? Yes. Right. So that eight point discrepancy for having the worst reputation was absorbed by being a minority owned business. Very well. Could have been. We don't know. We have no idea because we don't know what the scoring matrix is. They didn't share with the public. It is never shared. Nobody knows it. The board didn't even see it. Or we may approved it. Here's what board didn't know. Let me make So next week, we're gonna file an open records request for that. Again, this is that slippery slope. You have to weigh because at this point, do we, you know, now you're ultimately, and this is why this process has fall, is that you are literally shooting yourself in the I know that. And that's that's the sad part. That's the sad part. And how many other schools aren't gonna get the services that they need from a qualified company if if we we get yourself in the food? Yeah. I don't don't know. Yeah. But you're playing the game at the cost of twenty million dollars. I mean, it it it's this is just this one project. Well, that's one project. It's just ridiculous. To even to even think that this is the way that this should work. How if we're talking about everything's all fair and and there's equity, Tell me how that's fair and equitable. It's not. It's not fair and equitable. Not That's the first thing that comes out of most school districts' mouth is fair inequality. Right? Fair and equitable. But are you? It depends on who is on the receiving end of the the fairness and equity. Right? And that's the problem. You wanna talk about the advisement of the country that's that's that's the root cause. Wrong, man. Is that right? There's nothing. There's no other If we get back to where we're Americans, and and if you look at history, There are amazing times where we collectively as Americans came together. Unfortunately, it typically happens after some tragic tragic Right? Nine eleven was one of the great. I felt so much pride in being an American after nine eleven. No doubt. You know, that is the true America. It is. That's deep down who we all are. Yeah. Right now, but we're fighting with each other. But the moment that somebody comes after us, Yeah. America then focuses all of its effort and energy on that one common in it. But I truly believe that it's designed that way. I really believe that. That that the powers that be this is not a conspiracy. I've seen it is that I just and I'm I'm not saying it was always this way. I would say in the last ten years, is progressively gotten worse. Mhmm. That of powers that be choose to have us arguing and fighting with each other rather than working together to build our communities, to build a better America for our kids, whether it be an education or whether it be in our communities providing safe spaces for our kids. You know, this isn't hard. That's the frustrating part is that through our lens, we we know the tr we know the trends. We know the type of people who exert this. We know that it's very possible to collect the data to identify potential threats it already is done at the government level. Yeah. It can be done in the case. Absolutely. It can be done in higher ed. It can be done in core American. Well, the problem is is that they don't wanna do it. Well, it's not that they don't wanna well, they don't wanna do it because it smells like work. That's the first thing. The second thing is They don't wanna do it because it's clouding. The the industry is is clouded by the next best thing rather than putting in the hard work and the boots on the ground. Right? It's That's what it all boils down to is it takes work. Yep. You you know, you can't just throw a product at at this problem and think that it's going to to be resolved at every single day. Well, every single day, I'm on LinkedIn. I'm looking at guys, and I I'm I'm I'm looking at some of the, you know, the products that people are pushing. You know, I I did that LinkedIn post yesterday talking about, you know, stop being distracted you know, by the sprinkles? No. Yes. Stop being distracted by the sprinkles because the most of this is shit. Right? And at the end of the day, we have to focus on the basics. Right? Yep. And And we can't solely rely upon technology to resolve it, but we have to find a balance between technology and humans. Humans, regardless of what anyone says, will always be needed. They will always be needed. You know, and then it wasn't twenty minutes later. I had a guy on that same post in my comments trying to sell me on a bullshit system. You know, and it's like, dude, what did you not get from this post? Like, do I have to spell this out for you and completely? Like, send you a private message and tell you how dumb you are. The spat grant comes out in tech Right? Sonopane Alarm Technology. Yeah. How many different versions of apps wireless Oh, man. Buttons. Let's start that. I'm just naming a few. Like, I just just yeah. Everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. You know, and that's the thing is okay. So I'm just gonna name a few. We've got We got rave. We got share nine one one. We've got Crisis Go. We've got Navigate three sixty. We've got Raptor. We've got Centegix. We've got Entrado. We've got, you're not even scratching the surface. Who who are some of the other ones? Mike, I'm not not exaggerating. I'm gonna say there was probably over I was gonna say over fifty. Right? Yeah. It's like going to GSX last week or going to Tasa Tazbee. It's like Oh, there's another app. There's another panic alarm. There's another, you know, whatever button. You know, guy hit me up the guy on there yesterday was an Israeli guy selling a product. I'm not even gonna say the names. I don't wanna give them any credibility, but selling the same bullshit. Right? I had a guy today in my inbox. You know, it's every single day. I wish I were getting paid for all this. I really do. Right? You know, you wanna pay me to promote your product? Let me let me review it. Let me give you an honest opinion. Well, I mean, we've already seen this, right? We've already seen these are manufacturers that remember when, all the window film stuff came out. Yeah. And how many people we said, no, we're gonna take it to our our facility and we're gonna shoot it. We're gonna show you what. And this is a challenge to anybody in the window film industry. Whether it be three m, whether it be Madica, whether it be safe haven, anybody else who wants to pop up on the scene. Let me shoot it. Send me the specifications. We will build it to spec right here in the office. Okay. Hold on. But I wanna I wanna let's clear the air on that right now. It needs to be the type of glass found in a commercial school. Right. It can't be, oh, our film will stop a bullet on three inch thick glass. Yeah. And you need a laminate of both sides. Like, that's not realistic. That doesn't exist. And it's additional cost. They're not But they don't disclose that. Right? And they're working material. We stop bullets. No. You don't. So I'll tell you what. I'll give you I'll give I'm gonna put out a challenge. Right. Right here. Alright. 3m, Madico, safe haven, Dave Trudeau, at ClearView. K? That's the four that I would say. Right? Or in the industry. I would open it to anybody who wants to put Alright. Anybody in the industry? You wanna prove that your product works. Let us shoot it independently. Yep. We have a range. Yeah. We'll go out to our rate. And we need we want it to be on on typical new Typical final glass units, IGU units in a commercial building. Yep. Something that's in a, you know, quarter inch plate glass. It's in a, in a standard, door. Right, that you would have in a commercial building. Yeah. So that's the challenge. Let let me shoot it. Yeah. Let me shoot. If you wanna claim that it's bullet resistant bulletproof. All these things that they try to say. Yeah. Let me shoot it. We'll shoot it. We'll film it. We'll take you out there. We'll put you up. Will lodge you or how, you know, how's you? Yeah. Provide food. We'll build it to your specifications. You can watch us build it. To your specifications, just to make sure it's supervised that it's done right, and we'll shoot it with nine millimeter forty cal three fifty seven five five six AR fifteen. Yeah. Whatever you want us to shoot it with. We'll shoot it with. Right? Yeah. And let's let's put your money where your mouth is, but here's the deal. Won't happen. You won't do it. It won't happen. Right? Very few will do it. I know one that I think would do it. Yeah. I know one that I think would do it. You know? But let's see. I mean, that's the challenge. Let's see how many phone calls we get. None. I I don't I don't think we'll get They're scary. We've already no we already know this. We've already had people who have backed away from us because we flat out said we wouldn't promote a specific product because we have seen that it doesn't perform. Well, that's that's the problem. Well, it's not that it doesn't perform. It's that I wanna see perform.