The Morning Drip for August 11, 2026

Hosts: Grady D & Mike B

Station / Network: WRTO.fm (Radio Free Georgia)

Contact: 229-520-5957 | morningdrip@wrto.fm

Show Segments & Topics Covered

• Welcome & Return from Break:

  • Grady D and Mike B return following a week off.

  • Discussion on business billing practices, net-30 terms, and payment timelines.

• This Day in History (August 11):

  • In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned in Barnesville against U.S. Senator Walter George of Georgia.

  • Passing of Ben Jones (age 84), best known as Cooter Davenport on The Dukes of Hazzard and a former U.S. Representative for Georgia's 4th congressional district.

  • Nostalgic commentary on The Dukes of Hazzard, car jumps, and stunt cars.

• Georgia Business & Economy:

  • Four Georgia men sentenced in a $17.5M COVID-era tax credit fraud scheme (Operation Sweet Silence).

  • Discussion on net tax collections for Georgia at the start of FY 2027 ($2.57B in July).

  • Brief debate on local Tift County sales tax distribution, property taxes, and taxing groceries/sustenance.

• In-Depth Topic: Flock Cameras & Surveillance:

  • Played two commentary clips from YouTuber Philip DeFranco examining Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) by Flock Safety.

  • Highlighted privacy concerns, cross-agency data sharing without warrants, and freeform AI searches.

  • Discussed incidents of high error rates (misread plates) leading to false police stops.

  • Local context: Reference to 16 alleged Flock cameras listed in Tift County on deflock.org.

  • Hosts debate the balance between law enforcement utility and oversight/privacy limits.

• Society & Culture: The Loss of "Third Places":

  • Examination of the decline of "third places" (movie theaters, bowling alleys, coffee shops, community centers) due to rising costs, online trends, and lingering pandemic impacts.

  • Impact of social isolation, remote work, and technology on personal connections and community health.