From Boxing Ring to Senate Floor: Marty Flynn's Transformative Path
This podcast episode features a profound dialogue with Senator Marty Flynn, who exemplifies resilience and dedication through his remarkable journey from the boxing ring to the Pennsylvania State Senate. The discussion illuminates how Flynn's experiences in sports, particularly boxing, have shaped his political career, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding diverse backgrounds in governance. He expounds upon the challenges faced in contemporary politics, particularly the pressing issues surrounding education and infrastructure within Pennsylvania. Throughout the conversation, Flynn articulates his commitment to fostering a better community, highlighting his unwavering resolve to enhance educational opportunities and maintain the state's transportation systems. Ultimately, this episode serves as a testament to the belief that determination and a genuine care for one's constituents can facilitate meaningful change in society.
Have you ever considered the marks we leave behind in our communities and the legacies that shape us? Senator Marty Flynn joins us to share the ringside view of his journey from the disciplined world of boxing to the strategic battleground of Pennsylvania politics. His narrative is one of resilience, where the lessons from sports and the wisdom of mentors converge, giving rise to a leadership style that's as direct as a jab and as impactful as a knockout punch in the realm of public service.
Navigating the complexities of the American education system and the pitfalls of extreme right-wing politics, Marty Flynn doesn't pull any punches. He lays bare the struggle for funding, the quest for accountability in alternative education, and the dire need for equitable learning opportunities for every child. His insights on empathy in policymaking and the significance of understanding the needs of both urban and rural constituencies highlight the nuances of crafting policies that improve lives across the Keystone State.
Step into the ring with us as we explore the community legacy left by boxing heroes and the impact of sports on personal development and discipline. Catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Senator Flynn's approach to connecting with constituents via social media, where his candor and accessibility shine through. This episode is a masterclass in the pursuit of leaving things better than we found them, all while offering a personal invitation to follow along as one man's journey through the politics of Pennsylvania unfolds.
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The discussion unfolds with an exploration of Pennsylvania State Senator Marty Flynn's remarkable journey, transitioning from a professional boxing background to a significant political career. Flynn's formative years in Scranton, Pennsylvania, are highlighted, where his athletic prowess was evident during his time at Scranton Preparatory School and Marywood University. His passion for boxing, instilled by a family legacy of professional fighters, drove him to pursue this grueling sport, where he trained rigorously at the famed Champs Gym. This experience not only honed his physical skills but also instilled in him an unparalleled work ethic, teaching him that 'the harder you work, the luckier you are,' a mantra he emphasizes throughout the episode.
As the conversation progresses, Flynn reflects on how his boxing career shaped his perspective on resilience and determination. He recounts his encounters with legendary boxers such as Bernard Hopkins, illustrating how these experiences influenced his approach to politics. The narrative transitions into his political ascent, wherein he shares the profound lessons on empathy he gleaned from interacting with diverse communities, particularly those in economically challenged areas. Flynn's dual experiences in boxing and politics serve as a testament to his belief that understanding different perspectives is crucial for effective leadership and fostering change within society.
In the latter part of the episode, Flynn articulates his current priorities as a senator, emphasizing transportation infrastructure and educational reforms. He speaks passionately about the necessity of adequate funding for public education and the importance of accountability within charter schools. His commitment to serving his constituents is evident as he discusses his role in shaping policy that genuinely reflects the needs of the community. Ultimately, Flynn's journey illustrates a compelling narrative of perseverance, empathy, and the relentless pursuit of improvement for both himself and the communities he represents.
Takeaways:
- In this episode, we explored the profound interconnectedness of sports, politics, and personal resilience, as exemplified by Senator Marty Flynn's journey.
- Senator Flynn emphasized the essential nature of empathy in governance, arguing that understanding diverse backgrounds is crucial for effective leadership.
- Listeners were reminded of the historical significance of public service, with a focus on the importance of education and community engagement in policymaking.
- The episode highlighted the importance of direct communication in politics, where clarity and honesty often yield the most productive outcomes.
- Flynn's experiences in boxing illuminated the discipline required in both athletics and public service, showcasing how perseverance leads to success.
- The discussion underscored the urgency of addressing systemic issues in education funding, advocating for equitable access to quality education for all students.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Hey you awesome folks.
Speaker A:Thanks for taking this journey of discovery with your guide, Keith Haney.
Speaker A:You're listening to the Becoming Bridge Builders Podcast, your favorite podcast for everything from racial reconciliation to education, innovation, justice reform and leading change in the 21st century.
Speaker A:This podcast is for people who love to be challenged with difficult topics, but want practical solutions to solve these challenging issues.
Speaker A:Becoming Bridge Builders makes change possible.
Speaker A:Each week on the podcast, Keith invites innovative thought leaders to share how they are building bridges in their area of expertise.
Speaker A:You will hear breakthrough ideas and concepts that are changing the world.
Speaker A:He's featuring guests who are best selling authors, leaders at Microsoft, entrepreneurs, leading educators, professors, lawyers, and so many more.
Speaker A:Listen in to learn how you can be the bridge to the change you are seeking.
Speaker B:My guest today is Senator Marty Flynn.
Speaker B:Senator Flynn is a resilient figure whose journey weaves through a gritty world of professional boxing to the steam halls of Pennsylvania State Senate.
Speaker B:Raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Marty excelled in sports in Scranton Preparatory School and Marywood University, where he discovered his passion for boxing.
Speaker B:Flynn's relentless dedication and tenacity to the legendary Champs Gym led him to the into the ring alongside greats like Ivan Robinson and Mike Stewart.
Speaker B:As fate would have it, he became the sparring partner to boxing legend Bernard Hopkins, leaving an incredible and indelible mark on the sports industry.
Speaker B:Transitioning seamlessly from sports to politics, Marty Flynn became a state representative before becoming a distinguished state senator.
Speaker B:His life story, marked by resilience and commitment, extends beyond the squared circle and political arena, encompassing roles as an inmate education coordinator and chairman of the Prison Misconduct Board in Lackawanna County Prison.
Speaker B:Sarah Flynn's legacy is that of a fighter not only within the ring and politics, but as a beacon of hope.
Speaker B:Showcasing that resilience, determination, and with an unyielding spirit, one can overcome any obstacle and leave an enduring impact on the world.
Speaker B:Welcome, Marty, to the podcast.
Speaker B:I love to ask my guests this opening question.
Speaker B:Get a chance to know you a little bit better.
Speaker B:So give me the best piece of advice you've ever received.
Speaker C:The harder you work, the luckier you're gonna get.
Speaker C:And I was like, that hit me right then and there and it hits me right, right now.
Speaker C:You know, like, the harder you work, the luckier you're gonna get.
Speaker B:Oh, I love that.
Speaker C:So true.
Speaker C:It's so true, you know, and a lot of things have to line up in life in certain things, but if you're not working your tail off the whole time, it's, it's not, it's not necessarily going to happen or not happen for you.
Speaker B:That's extremely true.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:That's a really good quote.
Speaker C:Yeah, that.
Speaker C:That popped right in my head when, When I.
Speaker C:When I read that.
Speaker B:I love asking my guests this question too, because, you know, as we go through life, there are so many people who've come into our life at sometimes just the right moment who have been role models or mentors for us.
Speaker B:Who are some people in your life could be your boxing or political life who have been role models or mentors for you?
Speaker C:Well, I think like a lot of my family members, like my godfather was one.
Speaker C:He, He.
Speaker C:He passed away a little over 10 years ago.
Speaker C:My Uncle Matt, he was, he was pretty cool.
Speaker C:And he, he was just always into political discourse.
Speaker C:And he was kind of like a Benjamin type.
Speaker C:Benjamin Franklin kind of guy, you know.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Like a lover of everything, great with people.
Speaker C:Well read that would always, you know, pick my brain and see the way I ticked and, you know, would.
Speaker C:Would recalibrate me at times when I needed to be, you know, at a younger age.
Speaker C:Know, definitely him.
Speaker C:And then different coaches that I've had and teachers that I've had over the years definitely helped steer me in the right direction.
Speaker C:I would say, to be successful and to be a contributing person to society, I would say, because education wise, I was.
Speaker C:I went to a Catholic grade school, I went to a Jesuit Catholic high school and then Catholic colleges.
Speaker C:So service and contributing to society were always a theme of my education.
Speaker C:I would say, sure.
Speaker C:So it's kind of baked into the person that I am, and it comes out from time to time now a lot more than I'm an elected official.
Speaker B:As you think about those people, they also probably shape how you lead.
Speaker B:How did they contribute to your leadership style?
Speaker C:That's a good question.
Speaker C:I think my leadership style has been the same since I'm five years old.
Speaker C:It's like a blunt.
Speaker C:Smashing somebody with a blunt object.
Speaker C:But I've gotten more tactical over.
Speaker C:Over the years.
Speaker C:But I think the most effective way I get things done is with brute force, which is kind of like.
Speaker C:Like being a state center.
Speaker C:You would think, you would think that there would be some form of advanced interpersonal skills that, you know, helped get an issue through or, you know, just this.
Speaker C:This advanced human relations type of.
Speaker C:Of discussion.
Speaker C:But it, you know, I think when you go street in a meeting gets a lot more efficient, which, which is kind of surprising.
Speaker C:You know, it's really surprising to me that, you know, I got things done by being very direct and very.
Speaker C:Just being very direct and forward.
Speaker C:About things.
Speaker B:So diplomacy is out the window.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:It just seems like weakness doesn't get anything done, you know, Right.
Speaker C:To me, to me in government, which, you know, it's kind of sad, but.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's unfortunate.
Speaker C:It just holds truth with.
Speaker C:With.
Speaker C:With historical opinion on.
Speaker C:On.
Speaker C:On diplomacy.
Speaker C:You know, it's generation in, generation out.
Speaker C:It's always.
Speaker C:It's always the same story, I would say.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:So I'm curious.
Speaker B:Tell us about your personal story, your journey.
Speaker B:Because when I read your bio, it was so interesting to kind of track where your.
Speaker B:Your career has gone.
Speaker B:Kind of give us your.
Speaker B:Your backstory.
Speaker C:Yeah, it is kind of wild, right?
Speaker C:So I grew up in Northeast pa.
Speaker C:Scranton.
Speaker C:Small city.
Speaker C:Small city, but big time, you know, And I.
Speaker C:I played sports my whole life, like baseball, football, wrestling, that kind of thing.
Speaker C:And we have, like, a rich history of boxing here.
Speaker C:And I always wanted to box for some reason, and I think it was because my grandfathers were both pro boxers.
Speaker C:My mom's father and my dad's father.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker C: nd they're fighting pose from: Speaker C:And I was like, I want to do that.
Speaker C:And being a little kid, my parents are like, we're going to school.
Speaker C:You know, that's for people who, you know, are trying to make ends meet, that kind of thing, you know?
Speaker C:But I was always drawn.
Speaker C:Drawn to the sport.
Speaker C:And when I turned 18 and graduated high school, I.
Speaker C:When I went to college, I was supposed to play baseball at.
Speaker C:At the school I went to, and I.
Speaker C:It was kind of like the program wasn't that intense, in a sense.
Speaker C:You know what?
Speaker C:I'm gonna start boxing.
Speaker C:For some reason, that popped into my mind.
Speaker C:So I.
Speaker C:I went to a local gym and I just started working out.
Speaker C:And six weeks later, I fought.
Speaker B:How'd you do?
Speaker B:Oh, you won, all right.
Speaker C:Yeah, I won my first two amateur fights, which was pretty cool.
Speaker C:But it really, like, brought everything into focus in my life, I would say.
Speaker C:And it just took such.
Speaker C:Such intense focus and training to just survive, let alone thrive in the sport, you know what I mean?
Speaker C:And I.
Speaker C:I just got sucked into it and that.
Speaker C:It actually helped with everything outside of it, too.
Speaker C:Like, with discipline, you know, it was like, wake up early, Ron.
Speaker C:Go to class.
Speaker C:That kind of stuff.
Speaker C:Go to the gym.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Go to work.
Speaker C:Like, my day was more filled than it's ever been, even to this day, I would say.
Speaker C:When I was in college and it just, it, it kind of gave me like a blueprint for success kind of.
Speaker C:I always say that, like, it just put me in that, that super, ultra disciplined mindset.
Speaker C:And it's like, here I am 18 years old, which is late for boxing, anybody knows?
Speaker C:I mean, it's like boom, boom, and then punch, boom, boom.
Speaker C:You're taking two to give one, because you have to learn, you know, I mean, there's little kids who, you know, or been a mirror, learn how to box when they're five years old that, you know, they never took a punch till they're eight years old and they're already moving their heads and boom, boom, boom, boom.
Speaker C:You know, you're.
Speaker C:You're basically programming the human mind to operate outside of its natural instincts.
Speaker C:Because boxing, Boxing is a natural.
Speaker C:Like, naturally people want to, you put your chin up and swing.
Speaker C:You know, like, boxing is teaching you to talk your chin, be your hands up.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's just not natural.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker C:You're re.
Speaker C:You're reprogramming these neural thoughts over, you know, and at 18, it's kind of hard to do that.
Speaker C:And it was.
Speaker C:I had to like, work twice as hard as, say, a kid that's 7 years old.
Speaker C:So I, I go knee deep into, into this boxing thing and, and just become obsessed with it.
Speaker C:So I, I think I was amateur till I was about like 25, maybe 26.
Speaker C:So from like 18 to 26, I was.
Speaker C:I was amateur, honing my skills and got like super into.
Speaker C:Into boxing.
Speaker C:And then I decided to turn pro.
Speaker C:Well, first this was like me training in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and then a kid, I started dipping my feet into the water, driving down to Philadelphia, which was about two hours away.
Speaker C:And back then, like, I had a Honda Accord.
Speaker C:Gas was a $40 a gallon.
Speaker C:I mean, the tolls were like $3 both ways.
Speaker C:You know what I mean?
Speaker C:It wasn't, it wasn't a big deal to commute and go down there.
Speaker C:But I met a kid, I forget where I met him, but he's like, yo, I could take you to my old gym in, in North Philadelphia.
Speaker C:He's like, Bernard Hopkins trains at this gym, who, you know, at the time was like middleweight champ of the, of the world.
Speaker C:And I was like, yeah, definitely, I want to go down there and work out.
Speaker C:So he, he drives me down and I, I actually drive him down.
Speaker C:I go down.
Speaker C:Me and him go down and go to this gym, which is on like 20th and Huntington, all the way up in North Philadelphia, which, like, like, not even the sidewalks are white.
Speaker C: ,: Speaker C:So here comes me, Johnny Crack Corn, walking in the door at Champs Gym, you know, with, with this kid I was friends with, Robert.
Speaker C:And I walk in this gym and like all the heads like turn like, there's no white people even at the gym at that, that time.
Speaker C:And they're like, who's the cop?
Speaker C:You know what I mean?
Speaker C:For literally six months I was there, they thought I was a cop.
Speaker C:So that was kind of crazy.
Speaker C:But so I go in there and work out and two trainers waiting.
Speaker C:Randy Hinton came over like, yo, who you work with down here?
Speaker C:You have a trainer down here?
Speaker C:Like, no, I have a guy back home, but you know, I don't, I don't have a trainer.
Speaker C:Well, you want to work with us?
Speaker C:And I was like, yeah, sure.
Speaker C:So I started commuting down there and then end up eventually moving down there to, to pursue like a professional boxing career.
Speaker C:So it was, it was pretty cool.
Speaker C:Like the, the life lessons, like what I learned, you know, what I learned in the sport, what I learned about people, you know, it was just total, total like culture explosion, which, you know, was pretty cool.
Speaker C:Pretty cool.
Speaker B:How did that experience shape the next phase of your career in politics?
Speaker C:Stay with us.
Speaker B:We'll be right back.
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Speaker C:That experience, it would, it really led me down the Empathy world.
Speaker C:Wow.
Speaker C:Wormhole to where it made me think about other people, about things, about how their experiences are different than mine and how like just growing up in a lower middle class area neighborhood, like how blessed I was as compared to Somebody that basically lived in, in terrible conditions, had no access to a supermarket, let alone, you know what I mean, a stable food source that, you know, day in and day out are training right next to me in America.
Speaker C:And it's two different worlds, you know, and still here we are just people.
Speaker C:And how.
Speaker C:It's not fair, in a sense.
Speaker C:And being able to like, look, look at things from other people's perspectives really opened my eyes in that, in that sense.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:That's probably the most.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I grew up in Louisiana and my first call in ministry was to Detroit, Michigan, and it was like a whole nother world because I grew up in small town, southern town, Louisiana.
Speaker B:And all of a sudden you're in the big city and you're, you're confronted with all these big city problems.
Speaker B:And I remember thinking to myself as a, as a church, about 120, it's overwhelming.
Speaker B:We, we can't possibly even make a dent in all the problems that are there.
Speaker B:So as a, as someone who's trying to deal with some of those large issues, how do you pick what will be your priority?
Speaker B:Because you can't do everything.
Speaker B:So what do you, what do you say?
Speaker B:How do you decide what your focus going to be?
Speaker C:Well, first and foremost, that is a great perspective to have from the outside for you to know that, because most people don't.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:You have to be a jack of all trades.
Speaker C:You cannot be a master of everything.
Speaker C:In, in the building I'm in, there's so many issues and so many topics.
Speaker C:You need to know a little bit about as much as you can and have an educated opinion on everything.
Speaker C:And then you have to take that and look at like, does that match with the 240,000 people that I represent?
Speaker C:What is their, what is their feeling on this?
Speaker C:How does my district feel if I vote on this?
Speaker C:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:And how does that compare to my, my personal beliefs, my personal opinions, my personal sense of morality in whatever that's.
Speaker C:That issue is also.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:So those things definitely come into contention.
Speaker C:But you know, nine out of 10 times, probably, probably 97 out of 100 times, I know where I'm at all the time.
Speaker C:Every once in a while you get that curveball.
Speaker C:You're like, I don't know what, you ain't gonna vote on this, but.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's, it's usually not that, that hard for me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Especially where I come from too.
Speaker C:My district is very middle of the road, so.
Speaker C:So to speak.
Speaker C:Like, which is basically a bellwether for, for Politics in the United States.
Speaker C:National, national news outlets always look at, at Wilkes Barre, Scranton area.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:Or the bellwether of, you know, what, what is America's temperature on things.
Speaker B:So as, as a politician, what, what are the, your top priorities?
Speaker B:Like if you say this is the thing I'm really pouring into, what is that, that you're really passionate about?
Speaker C:Well, being the transportation chair in the Senate, taking care of the, the roads and bridges in Pennsylvania is a huge priority of mine.
Speaker C:It's been underfunded since the 50s, since the major highway, highway systems were, were actually built.
Speaker C:But at the same time, you know, Pennsylvania has more roads and bridges than New York, New Jersey and all of New England combined because it's such a big state.
Speaker C:But you know, our weather cycles are also different than a lot of Southern states that destroy the roads and bridges.
Speaker C:So that's something that like I have to spend a lot of my focus and a lot of my time on.
Speaker C:But the major concern I have right now is our democracy in the United States.
Speaker C:I think the fascist autocratic tendencies of people's knee jerk reactions are definitely swaying our politics more to the ultra right.
Speaker C:I think it's, it's a world wide phenomenon right now and I think, I think it's definitely, definitely scary.
Speaker C:But first and foremost the fact that our republic is under, is under attack from forces from the right kind of ultra right kind of scares me.
Speaker C:But that's, that's first and foremost.
Speaker C:Then, then I would say education, funding public education.
Speaker C:I think everybody deserves a free, fair public education.
Speaker C:And I think not only Pennsylvania, but the United States has, has been dropping the ball over the past 30 years in terms of putting out a good product worldwide.
Speaker C:And that's something we need to, to attack and get to work on.
Speaker C:Stop trying to divert money away from it, you know.
Speaker B:Yeah, it was funny.
Speaker B:I spent eight years in Milwaukee and we started with, we, we were one of the first to do school choice.
Speaker B:And I remember being in a poor community, how important that was for my, my members because we had a school and we were in an area where education was just not being, not advancing and so many of the kids were failing.
Speaker B:I remember having a talk with one of my students one day.
Speaker B:I said, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Speaker B:She said I want to be a video dancer.
Speaker B:And I'm like, that's not a career.
Speaker B:That, that's not realistic.
Speaker B:Then I was like, well at least dance.
Speaker B:And then I realized that's not going to work for you.
Speaker B:Kind of like the whole boxing Thing, everybody has a plan to get punched in the face.
Speaker B:I think what Mike Tyson said.
Speaker B:So I had to try to help her understand that your best avenue for living out your dream is to have a good education.
Speaker B:So I tried to really pour into the kids to, like, it's really important that you guys read and you educate yourself and you know about the basics, because that way you can open doors to so many things you're going to do in life.
Speaker B:And so as you talk about some of the challenges you're facing, what are some of the things that maybe you are working on and in Pennsylvania to improve education?
Speaker C:Well, I think taking money away and having charter schools, basically cyber charters especially, that they're getting billions of dollars, like $20,000 per student with no accountability.
Speaker C:They have no accountability with the spending of those dollars.
Speaker C:You know, they can put ads on tv.
Speaker C:They can do all these things that are basically not fair to the other part of the education system.
Speaker C:It's just basically a business.
Speaker C:They have no standards in terms of performance.
Speaker C:When, you know, our regular school districts have performance metrics, these things, they're just systematically trying to divert money away from.
Speaker C:From the classroom.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker C:That's destroying the basic public education.
Speaker C:Do I think charter schools are bad?
Speaker C:No, I.
Speaker C:I think cyber charter schools are bad because there's no accountability.
Speaker C:You know, in certain areas where the school district has failed children years and year in and year out, that is definitely a viable option.
Speaker C:It is shown to have some success in our big cities, especially in our African American communities.
Speaker C:You know, these have been the game changer for these people.
Speaker C:But I don't think you should throw the baby out with the bathwater here.
Speaker C:I think, you know, we still, our kids deserve a fair, adequate public education.
Speaker C:And that's something I'm gonna.
Speaker C:I'm gonna continue to push for more accountability.
Speaker B:I love that you mentioned something I want to get back to.
Speaker B:You said what got you into politics was you learned in the gym about empathy.
Speaker B:And I remember taking a class in policy for my work I was doing on my doctorate.
Speaker B:And empathy plays a big role, I think, in policymaking.
Speaker B:So how do you, as a politician, try to keep empathy in the policies that you're crafting for your constituents?
Speaker C:Well, the interesting part about Pennsylvania is, like, you have Philadelphia, then you have Pittsburgh, and then you have Kentucky in between.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:So when I first got to Harrisburg, it was like, oh, my God, it's like these people are like Texans.
Speaker C:Like, you know what I mean?
Speaker C:It was just like a whole different vibe that I wasn't sure of.
Speaker C:And it's basically a rural, rural state with people from inner cities.
Speaker C:So me coming from middle class, white background, okay.
Speaker C:Emerging myself in lower class, African American background has really helped me communicate between the city people and then the rural people.
Speaker C:But then try to connect them in certain issues, but making them empathize on certain issues because you are what your background is.
Speaker C:So if you're not around people or different than you, you're not going to really look through things or have empathy for what they do unless there's some kind of relationship you have to form.
Speaker C:You know, I mean, you're going to be stuck in your silo in this back mountain community or this city community.
Speaker C:So I, I try to, I try to do that.
Speaker C:Like, it's hard though, because people are really like stuck, stuck with their backgrounds.
Speaker C:Like, like, I'll give you a topic, for instance.
Speaker C:Like, like major cities have police and fire departments, right?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:So that becomes a huge part of their budget because they pay for a full time police and they pay for a full time fire department.
Speaker C:Okay?
Speaker C:So Philly, Pittsburgh, Grant and Allentown, the, the cities, okay?
Speaker C:But then you have all these rural areas in Pennsylvania that have volunteer fire, okay?
Speaker C:So they don't pay, they don't have to pay for that.
Speaker C:They don't have to pay the employees.
Speaker C:It's all volunteer.
Speaker C:Then they have the state police police them, so they don't have to pay a police department.
Speaker C:So in their world, they don't care when $30 million allocations get, or 100 million dollar allocations get allocated because that doesn't have nothing to do with them.
Speaker C:They don't think that that's right because they don't have to deal with that.
Speaker C:But they don't think as lawmakers that they should have to deal with that because it doesn't affect their community, though.
Speaker C:It affects different communities in the state.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker C:So it gets very challenging when these ideologies collide.
Speaker C:And at the same time, these people don't have to deal with these issues.
Speaker C:So it gets very, very complicated.
Speaker C:And then, you know, like, just getting political about things.
Speaker C:Like, it's really hard when the Republican Party doesn't stand to do anything.
Speaker C:You know what I mean?
Speaker C:They, they just go against everything.
Speaker C:So, you know, it's like, what are you for?
Speaker C:What?
Speaker C:Tell me what you're for.
Speaker C:Not against, like, what do you want to get done here?
Speaker C:But it gets, it gets, it gets very, very challenging, to say the least.
Speaker C:When, you know, we could agree on 95% of the stuff, then we have to deal with 5% that everybody wants to fight about.
Speaker B:You know, for people in the middle, I think they're frustrated just by all of it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so as, as a, as a blunt force trauma kind of a politician.
Speaker B:How do you, how do you help people in the middle go?
Speaker B:I just want to see something happen.
Speaker B:I want to see something that is, I want to see action.
Speaker B:And I guess.
Speaker C:Well, it, it, that does help me.
Speaker C:You know what I mean?
Speaker C:Like, I, I've been getting stuff done because I am in the middle and I am someone that they can talk to.
Speaker C:But, you know, in Pennsylvania now we have a Democratic House.
Speaker C:I was in the House for nine years.
Speaker C:I leave and they get the majority.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:I was in the minority there, you know, so we have a Democratic House now we have a Republican Senate and we have a, a Democratic governor.
Speaker C:So there, there is some things, you know, and the good part about being a transportation chair is there, there's no Republican roads or Democratic roads.
Speaker B:They're all just roads.
Speaker C:Yeah, they're just roads.
Speaker C:So we, we get along.
Speaker C:We get along great there.
Speaker C:My, my chairman and myself, my majority chairman, Langer, Holt, he's great.
Speaker C:So he's a, he's a real rural guy, too, so it's interesting.
Speaker C:But, yeah, like, sometimes I just smash my head against the wall.
Speaker B:Hey, you feel like you're boxing again?
Speaker C:Yeah, no, it's way different.
Speaker C:Way different.
Speaker C:It's dark.
Speaker C:It's dark.
Speaker C:And they have knives and there's more than one.
Speaker C:At least in the ring, you know who you're fighting and you can see them.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker B:I'm curious, as you think about just some of the challenges you face behind the scenes, and for us who don't understand it, how do you overcome some of those challenges?
Speaker B:Because I, I know that there are things happening that we don't understand.
Speaker B:But how do you work behind the scenes to get things done?
Speaker C:Yeah, there's so many, there's so many layers to things, and then like, there's national layers to things that I don't have privy to, you know?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:In some key, you know, some cases, you know, in this, in the state, you can walk into, you can walk into a moving car very quickly in, in that building.
Speaker C:So you have to be very cautious.
Speaker C:You have to be very cautious, you know, in the.
Speaker C:With what lobbyists you're dealing with, what they're up to, you know, what's their issue when, you know, they come to see you, they want, they want you to run this bill or they want you to hold.
Speaker C:Why does this guy want me to help?
Speaker C:You know, it's kind of like it's real.
Speaker C:It gets really street in a sense.
Speaker C:Like you have to, you have to see through people's day in and day out and, and know where things are going.
Speaker C:But it gets real challenging, you know, because there's always something going on behind and you have to really look at the person too.
Speaker C:That's a great part.
Speaker C:That's a great, it's a great way to, to explain to you what goes on behind the scenes.
Speaker C:You have to look at the issue, but then you have to look at the person.
Speaker C:Who are you dealing with?
Speaker C:What are they about?
Speaker C:You know, that, that tells a lot.
Speaker C:Your word is your currency in the building.
Speaker C:So if you're dealing with somebody that, you know, their word isn't worth anything, you know, it makes it a lot harder.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:But if you're dealing with somebody that's pretty straight up and you know, never did you dirty that, that wouldn't lead you in the oncoming traffic.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Then, you know, maybe you can make a deal about something.
Speaker C:But yeah, it gets, it gets dicey, to say the least.
Speaker B:I think the way you described is interesting.
Speaker B:It's like at least in a ring, you know who you're fighting.
Speaker B:Yeah, it does seem like with all the different elements in politics, like you talk about the lobbyists, how do you know as, as a senator, what lobbyists are actually lobbying for?
Speaker B:Things that are good for your constituents versus just good for themselves, you know, I mean, you got to be.
Speaker B:How do you distinguish, you know what I mean?
Speaker C:Because there seems like really, like there's some really conservative and then there's some really liberal lobbyists.
Speaker C:There's like I say to everybody, I, anybody that writes me a check, like, I could care less, you know, anybody I support, I'll put them on my jacket.
Speaker C:Like I, I'm not trying to hide anybody that supports me or doesn't support me.
Speaker C:Like, everybody knows where I stand on issues in a sense.
Speaker C:I don't like to be wishy washy on stuff.
Speaker C:So I don't think that part is really, is really hard for me.
Speaker C:It's pretty clear cut in terms of who I'm dealing with.
Speaker C:And don't get me wrong, if someone came out of left field and was asking me some kind of crazy thing, I'd be like, yo, dude, wrong guy, wrong office.
Speaker C:By, you know, you can see that.
Speaker C:You could see that a mile away.
Speaker C:It's not like, like, what are you looking for here?
Speaker C:It's so transparent in a sense, like coming to, like coming from the background that I was exposed to.
Speaker C:Like I came from like a middle class background, but being in Philadelphia over the years, being like, like I've seen a lot of shit in my day.
Speaker C:So, you know, I especially being like kind of a street kid in a way, right?
Speaker C:In a sense.
Speaker C:I'm educated, but I'm kind of a street kid that, you know, came up.
Speaker C:Not that, not that easy.
Speaker C:So I could see that kind of stuff a mile away.
Speaker B:If you were going to talk to someone who young person was thinking about a career in politics, what are the warnings you would have for them and what are the encouragement you'd have for them?
Speaker C:Just follow your instincts and your beliefs.
Speaker C:You can get a lot of good things done with persistence on issues.
Speaker C:I've seen people have one issue their entire career as a politician and still not get it done, but still stick and just tear, bite like a pit bull and tear and tear and tear and then eventually get it done, but go with your, your guts.
Speaker C:And the other thing I never noticed, I never noticed growing up, I would say is just how many jobs there are and how like people can make a lot of money being involved with government.
Speaker C:You know, not even necessarily being a lawyer, but being like a lobbyist, a lawyer, a chief of staff.
Speaker C:Like there's a good living to be made by people through government.
Speaker C:But yeah, definitely stick with it.
Speaker C:And if you have something that you're very passionate about, get involved with it in government and go for it.
Speaker B:If you're looking to get into it at entry level, where, where would you suggest people start if they were just like I want to get into, but I'm not sure exactly how to start, how to approach it.
Speaker C:Well, first off, make sure you vote, register to vote, no matter what your party is, okay?
Speaker C:Get involved in a campaign, no matter what, get involved in a campaign for something that you believe in.
Speaker C:It could be a nonprofit, but it could be a someone's official capacity.
Speaker C:Do that first and then see, you know, school boards, councils, those kind of things are always a good stepping stone to learn the process.
Speaker C:But like I went and ran for state representative, which was kind of like a big step out of the gate.
Speaker C:But I kind of, you know, got lucky with hard work.
Speaker C:You know, like we said before, hard work get luckier.
Speaker C:I got lucky.
Speaker C:I became a state rep.
Speaker C:I represented at 66,000 people.
Speaker C:Now I represent 240,000 people.
Speaker C:Just that was kind of a, a lucky path, I would say.
Speaker C:Most people would come from being like A council person or a, a school director in that sense.
Speaker C:And, and then run for that if it opened up.
Speaker C:But, but I would say definitely get involved in a campaign to some, some degree because people promote their own from, from their system.
Speaker C:You know, you, it's hard to come from the outside and force your way into a system.
Speaker C:Which I did.
Speaker C:It was kind of timing lock, everything, hard work, all bunched together for myself.
Speaker C:But for other people, what I see like watching the system and the way it works and the system promotes its own.
Speaker C:So get involved in the system.
Speaker C:Whatever party you are, register to vote, you know, get your party, go to work or work on a campaign, work on a non profit campaign, run for office eventually.
Speaker C:And you know that the, the best and the brightest usually get pushed up.
Speaker C:But you know, it's, it's crazy to see some of the people that win.
Speaker C:But hey, I can't throw stones, right?
Speaker B:What was it like, like walking the streets, just talking to voters that first time for you?
Speaker C:I, I'll give you a good story.
Speaker C:I was asking.
Speaker C:They had like a political guy, some political insider from my area who was supporting me when I did this.
Speaker C:Kind of like pushed a guy on me.
Speaker C:Said, y'all go help this guy.
Speaker C:He's, he doesn't, he never ran a campaign anymore.
Speaker C:And this guy came to me, he's like, yo, you gotta do this, you gotta do that.
Speaker C:You know, got to knock on doors that ask for your vote.
Speaker C:That kind of thing.
Speaker C:Like this isn't hard.
Speaker C:Like I don't have to fight them.
Speaker C:You put it in perspective.
Speaker C:Can ask for their vote.
Speaker C:It was interesting to see what people cared about.
Speaker C:And you know, they just want to be heard.
Speaker C:People just want to be heard.
Speaker C:And, and if you're attentive to the people that vote for you, they, they support you.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:And, and that's what's crazy.
Speaker C:Like you're human.
Speaker C:It's not like you're expected that you have like such, there's such this expectation of you to not screw up and not say this or not say that.
Speaker C:Like, like you're human.
Speaker C:Like you're gonna mess up.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Wouldn't you rather somebody be themselves than, than just pretend to be somebody that doesn't say anything and doesn't mess up saying anything and, and that's where, that's where I kind of fall.
Speaker C:I screw up all the time, but I own it.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker B:I'm curious, what are you most excited about in this season of your life in this season?
Speaker C:Wow.
Speaker C:Probably getting things done for my area, bringing Money back to.
Speaker C:To get projects done, to see, like, investment and blighted areas.
Speaker C:That's, you know, especially my neighborhood where I grew up in.
Speaker C:It's kind of deteriorated to some extent.
Speaker C:And see any kind of new development kind of makes me happy, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah, I love that.
Speaker B:So you've had an interesting career.
Speaker B:And I'm curious, when this is all done, when the final gavel comes down, what do you want your legacy to be?
Speaker C:Just that I cared.
Speaker C:I cared about making my community a better place.
Speaker C:That's it.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's it.
Speaker B:That's pretty simple, but it's also impactful.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's it.
Speaker C:I wanted it to be better than it was when I got here and I left it.
Speaker C:You know, whatever mark I.
Speaker C:Whatever carbon mark I made on where I was, that I made it a little bit better.
Speaker C:And the human experience, that's all.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:Anything I haven't asked it.
Speaker B:I should ask you, Senator.
Speaker C:Surprised you weren't on the Bernard Hopkins stuff, being from Iowa and he whooped up on Eccles twice.
Speaker B:I do like Bernard Hopkins.
Speaker B:I got distracted by your other answers.
Speaker C:Antoine Echols is from Iowa.
Speaker C:You know Antoine Echols?
Speaker B:No, I don't.
Speaker B:I haven't been in Iowa that long.
Speaker B:I've only been here like four years.
Speaker B:I came from Louisiana before.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:I was a big Sugar Ray Leonard fan, so.
Speaker C:Oh, Sugar Ray Leonard was the truth.
Speaker C:What a nice guy, too.
Speaker C:Yeah, super nice guy.
Speaker C:Super nice guy.
Speaker C:Super talented.
Speaker C:Marvin was my man, though.
Speaker B:Marvin Hagler.
Speaker B:I can kind of see that.
Speaker B:The hitman.
Speaker B:See, I.
Speaker B:I connected with him a little bit more because I.
Speaker B:My first call was in Detroit, so I'm in Detroit.
Speaker B:But a Sugar Ray fan.
Speaker B:But, you know, Marvin Hitman Hearns is from Detroit.
Speaker C:No, no, no.
Speaker C:Marvin Hagler.
Speaker C:Marvin Hagler.
Speaker C:You're thinking that.
Speaker C:You're thinking of City Cobra.
Speaker C:Yeah, Tommy Hearns.
Speaker B:Tommy Hearns.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Tommy Hearns.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah, he was a beast, too.
Speaker C:The Four Kings.
Speaker C:The Four Kings.
Speaker C:Duran, Duran, Hagler, Hearns and Leonard, they call them the Four Kings.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:No, that's cool.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I haven't thought about boxing in a lot.
Speaker B:I kind of lost.
Speaker B:I haven't watched boxing lately because it's not what it used to be.
Speaker C:So I don't know about all that.
Speaker B:Well, not when I grew up.
Speaker B:So there was some.
Speaker B:I grew up doing this.
Speaker C:There were some times.
Speaker C:Serious heavy this weekend.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:Tyson.
Speaker C:The Tyson era.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:How old are you?
Speaker B:I'm almost 60.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:I'm 48, so.
Speaker B:So who is.
Speaker B:Think about.
Speaker B:There's a question for you.
Speaker B:I didn't ask this.
Speaker B:Who is your favorite boxer of all time?
Speaker C:My favorite would be Bernard Hopkins, just because, you know, I.
Speaker C:I think the best to ever lace them up was probably Sugar Ray Robinson.
Speaker C:But my favorite boxers, Bernard Hopkins, just, you know, because the relationship I have with them and, and, you know, how I got to know him and everything, it was just pretty wild.
Speaker B:So tell us that story.
Speaker B:I didn't.
Speaker B:Since we didn't ask you that one, tell us about how you met Bernard Hopkins.
Speaker C:Well, I met him because I trained at the same gym as him, and training there, you know, it was different being a white kid there.
Speaker C:And everybody's, like, looking at the white kid.
Speaker C:So even him, he was looking at, like, who's this white dude?
Speaker C:So, like, he tells the story all the time.
Speaker C:Like, this kid come and get his ass kicked every week, drive two hours home, come back there, he's on Monday again, you know, so, like, he.
Speaker C:He tells a story about.
Speaker C:About.
Speaker C:There's a.
Speaker C:There's actually an article in the.
Speaker C:In Ring magazine about it.
Speaker C:You can Google.
Speaker C:It'll.
Speaker C:It'll come up.
Speaker C:But he.
Speaker C:He talks about it and, and getting to know him, like, was.
Speaker C:Was pretty cool.
Speaker C:Like, he just, like, started watching and saw how tough I was and how, you know, I got better and better and just kept coming back and we became friends.
Speaker C:We're still friends today.
Speaker C:I was talking to him the other day.
Speaker C:He actually came to my swearing in when.
Speaker C:When I got sworn in as senator.
Speaker C:It was pretty cool.
Speaker B:That is cool.
Speaker B:So you sparred with him, I saw in your.
Speaker B:In your bio.
Speaker B:How'd that go?
Speaker C:Yeah, the first day went great.
Speaker C:It did great against him.
Speaker C:The first day.
Speaker C:Not the second day or the third day.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What happened the second day?
Speaker C:He figured, so I was doing something, and he just started hitting me with that right hand and it just kept coming.
Speaker C:He picked up on something, and I didn't pick up what he picked up on.
Speaker C:I had two black eyes.
Speaker C:My nose was over on the other side of my face.
Speaker C:Yeah, the guy, the guy was just like, you have.
Speaker C:It's hard to explain, but, like, this gym was so energized all the time.
Speaker C:And then when this guy was in here, it was like, it just brought the level from here to here.
Speaker C:Like, it was.
Speaker C:It was nuts how hard that guy trained.
Speaker C:Like, and just tough.
Speaker C:Super skilled.
Speaker C:Super, super high ring iq, like.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Unbelievable, guys.
Speaker C:Unbelievable.
Speaker B:That's neat.
Speaker C:And did into his 50s, which is insane.
Speaker C:I can't even get out of bed, let alone go fight somebody.
Speaker B:It's pretty funny, right?
Speaker C:But, like.
Speaker C:But like, I would go to dinner with him and stuff, and like, this guy literally would eat chicken with, like, nothing on it.
Speaker C:Like, I just steamed chicken, just plain rice.
Speaker C:Like, vegetables, plain.
Speaker C:Like, nothing on.
Speaker C:He.
Speaker C:He was like a Jedi man.
Speaker C:Yeah, I was a freak.
Speaker C:Just so disciplined.
Speaker C:Like another level, like, total.
Speaker C:Another level discipline.
Speaker B:Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker C:Yeah, it was.
Speaker C:But it was a great life experience spending time down there with those guys and getting to know everybody.
Speaker B:It's awesome.
Speaker B:So where can people find you and follow what you're doing in.
Speaker B:In Pennsylvania?
Speaker C:My Facebook page, you know, Senator Marty, I think it's send Marty Flynn then my Instagram, my personal Instagram.
Speaker C:A lot of people follow me.
Speaker C:Is the Marty in Lake Flynn at Marty in Lake Flynn.
Speaker C:So that's my personal Instagram on there.
Speaker B:Well, thank you, Senator Flynn, for taking the time to be on the podcast and sharing with us kind of a little bit about you and about what you're doing and your career.
Speaker B:You've had a fascinating career so far, and so thank you for adding such great content.
Speaker C:Yeah, no, it's been.
Speaker C:It's been great.
Speaker C:It's great getting to know other people and.
Speaker C:And talking shop.
Speaker C:Good stuff.
Speaker B:If you ever in Iowa, come by and we'll give you a pig.
Speaker C:Hell yeah, Keith, we'll ship that home.
Speaker B:Well, blessings, my friend.
Speaker C:You too.
Speaker C:Have a great one.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening to Becoming Bridge Builder.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed this episode and want to help support the podcast, please subscribe and share it with others.
Speaker A:Post about it on social media or leave a rating and review.
Speaker A:To catch all the latest from me, you can follow me on Instagram KeithHaney and on Getter and Twitter revheadpin, or on his website at alightbreaksthrough.org thanks again and tune in next time.
