Ginzel Interview – Podcast April 13, 2025

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Saving Democracy One Conversation At A Time. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome activist Kat Ginzel to discuss her success in organizing Democrats in a rural, red district.

After Ginzel became a Precinct Captain, she learned that, despite appearances, many people in her neighborhood were Democrats looking for like-minded people. “There were some days when I talked to people who were so excited to have a Democratic representative in their community they could talk to. They were like starving to be heard, starving for attention, starving for information, and they needed to blow off steam,” she says.

Regarding the current political division in this country, Ginzel says, “What’s really important is that we keep talking to each other. At the end of my newsletters, I say ‘Saving Democracy one conversation at a time.’”

Posted in Arizona Politics, Autocracy, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Community, Community Activism, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Disinformation, Domestic Extremism, Education, Elections, Foreign Affairs, Government, Interviews, Local Politics, Mass Media, Misinformation, National Politics, Philosophy, Political Clubs, Political Parties, Political Polarization, Propaganda, Public Policy, Social Contract, Social Media, Tolerance, Voting, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Casteen Interview – April 6, 2025

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Holding The Line Between Church And State. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Jeanne Casteen Executive Director of Secular Arizona, Arizona’s voice for the separation of religion and government.

As Karen states, “secular” does not mean atheist. The organization simply stands for the original intent of our nation’s founders – that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. She notes that many of the issues raised by Trump and MAGA, such as anti-abortion rights, anti-LGBTQ rights, book bans, etc. are based on religious beliefs that overstep the line of the constitutional separation between church and state.

Casteen says, “We have folks reaching out to us from every corner of Arizona letting us know: ‘Hey, this church is holding a political rally two weeks before the election.’ ‘This church is posting candidate signs.’ We can file these complaints all day long…”

She goes on to note some of the most recent attacks on the First Amendment by Christian Nationalists and the current administration saying, “These are not normal times.”

Posted in Abortion, Arizona Politics, Autocracy, Bigotry, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Civil Society, Conservative Paranoia, Constitutional Issues, Domestic Extremism, Government, Human Rights, Interviews, Islamophobia, Israel, Legal Issues, LGBTQ Issues, Misogyny, National Politics, Religion, Resistance, Supreme Court, Theocracy, Tolerance, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Williamson Interview – Podcast March 30, 2025

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Why Government Is Necessary For A Civilized Society. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Sedona City Councilor Jessica Williamson to discuss the positives of government.

Steve begins by noting that most Americans thought highly of government coming out of the Great Depression and World War II. But Republicans began eroding trust in government probably beginning with the Goldwater presidential campaign.

Asked her opinion of what government is good for, Jessica explains, “Everybody has government, and we have governments because everyone wants to live in a civilized, organized, safe and fair society…and we pay for that through taxes.” She quotes the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who once said, “Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society.”

The discussion then turns to the Trump/Musk destruction of long-standing government agencies.

Posted in Business, Capitalism, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Community, Conservative Paranoia, Constitutional Issues, Corporations, Corruption, Democratic Governance, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, Department of Veterans Affairs, Domestic Extremism, Education, Elections, Ethics, Government, Human Rights, Interviews, National Politics, Political Parties, Public Accountability, Public Policy, Regulation, Regulatory Agencies, Social Contract, Taxation | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Horstman Interview – Podcast March 23, 2025

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

How Trump’s Chaos Impacts Counties. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Patrice Horstman, Coconino County Supervisor, attorney and Democratic activist to the show.

Horstman begins by saying, “County government, especially right now with what’s going on in the federal government is absolutely key.” She explains that the County Board of Supervisors oversees everything from health, roads, snowplows, parks, libraries, law enforcement, the county jail, property taxes and sales taxes. They then take those taxes and put them back into providing services for the county.

Asked if the craziness in Washington has affected Coconino County, Horstman responds, “I don’t think you can live in the United States of America and not have the craziness filter down unto you in either direct of very indirect ways. So many people are losing jobs and that has wide-sweeping effects on our county, on our economy quite frankly, and on our pleasures and joy in living.”

Horstman goes on to explain that federal cutbacks jeopardize Coconino’s national forests and national parks that bring billions of tourist dollars to the county. The cutbacks also threaten everything from emergency response and forest management to healthcare and women’s and children’s programs. “It’s government by surprise,” she says.

Posted in Arizona Economy, Arizona History, Autocracy, Bureau of Land Management, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Community, Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Department of the Interior, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Policy, Economic Policy, Education, Education Funding, Environmental Issues, Federal Lands, Funding, Government, Health Care, Human Rights, Interviews, Jobs and Employment, Judicial System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Local Politics, Medical Science and Technology, Mental Health Programs, Monetary Policy, National Politics, Native American Issues, Public Accountability, Public Health Policy, Public Lands, Public Policy, Resistance, Tax Revenues, Taxation, Tourism, U.S. Budget, U.S. Court System, U.S. Forest Service, Women's Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stahl Interview – Podcast March 16, 2025

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Giving Voice To Rural Districts. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Judy Stahl, president of Arizona Democratic Women and founder of Voice for Values, a progressive non-partisan Political Action Committee that is focused on voter empowerment and government accountability.

After some success in the 2024 election cycle, Stahl says, “Now we are rolling out our Rural Revival Plan…we have thought about this long and hard, and traditionally these are districts that are overlooked by national party organizations and campaigns. They just don’t have the bandwidth; they just don’t have the money to focus on those areas. And it’s rare for rural districts to be targeted for resources for voter engagement efforts in elections. They’re often deemed, sadly, not worthy of investment.”

She explains, “We’re planning on focusing long-term on registering voters in these rural districts and, as our voter base expands, we are going to expand the number of rural districts that we adopt and focus on.”

Posted in Agricultural Policy, Arizona Politics, Autocracy, Compassion, Constitutional Issues, Cultural Diversity, Democratic Governance, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Policy, Elections, Ethics, Government, Health Care, Human Rights, Interviews, Medicaid, Minimum Wage, Morality, National Politics, Native American Issues, Paul Gosar, Political Action Committees, Political Polarization, Public Accountability, Public Education, Public Policy, Social Security, Taxation, Tolerance, Voting, Women's Issues, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Stahl Interview – Podcast March 16, 2025

Trump Chaos – Podcast March 9, 2025

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

The Sociopath Continues His Assault On Government. The co-hosts assess the latest actions of the new Trump administration, including its destruction of government institutions and the resulting impact on the economy.

In his attempts to justify a $4.5 trillion tax cut for billionaires and multinational corporations, Trump and his billionaire sidekick have fired thousands of government workers – a large percentage of them are military veterans – who they claim are responsible for waste, fraud and abuse. Most troubling is the fact that the cuts began with Inspectors General and others responsible for investigating and reporting corruption. Of course, that opens the door for the Grifter-in-Chief and Musk to pocket billions in bribes and government contracts.

Posted in Agribusiness, Autocracy, China, Class Conflict, Congressional Oversight, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, De-regulation, Deficit Reduction, Department of Justice, Department of Veterans Affairs, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Policy, Domestic Terrorism, Economic Policy, Education, Energy Policy, Environmental Issues, Federal Lands, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Government, Health Care, Human Rights, Immigration, Income Inequality, Inflation, Legal Issues, Medicaid, Medicare, Morality, National Politics, Privatization, Public Accountability, Public Education, Refugees, Regulatory Agencies, Resistance, Russia, Taxes and the Deficit, Trade Policy, U.S. Forest Service, Ukraine, Unemployment, Veterans' Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trump Chaos – Podcast March 9, 2025

The Trump Effect – Podcast March 2, 2025

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Switching Sides. On this episode of Democratic Perspective, the co-hosts along with frequent guest Mik Jordahl discuss the Trump administration’s impact on foreign relations. In the first few weeks of Trump’s second term, we have seen Trump shutter USAID, threaten tariffs on our closest allies, increase tariffs on China, and throw Ukraine to Putin and his wolves.

In addition, Trump has demeaned Canada by claiming it could become our 51st state and threatened to take Greenland and the Panama Canal by force, if necessary. In the process, he has abandoned about 80 years of foreign policy that, in the words of NPR’s Anne Applebaum was “based on a network of alliances and institutions that allowed the country to project power, to create zones of prosperity, to enjoy trade with like-minded partners.”

The conclusion: If Trump isn’t a Russian asset, he certainly is acting like one.

Posted in Autocracy, Bigotry, China, Congressional Oversight, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Cultural Change, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, European Union, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Funding, Government, Homeland Security, Human Rights, Immigration, Intelligence Agencies, International Relations, International Terrorism, Israel, Middle East, Middle East Policy, National Politics, Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, Political History, Public Health Policy, Russia, Trade Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Trump Effect – Podcast March 2, 2025

Jablow, Williamson Interview – Podcast February 23, 2025

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

The Battle To Control Short-Term Rentals Continues. Sterve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow and former City Councilor Jessica Williamson to discuss the primary issue facing the city.

They begin by reporting on a recent meeting of eight Northern Arizona mayors who came together to discuss the growing problem of short-term rentals that destroy neighborhoods and create housing shortages. Unfortunately, the cities have little to no control over short-term rentals and Republican leaders in the Arizona State Legislature still refuse to even consider bills intended to address the issue.

In Sedona, one of the latest examples of the problem is a company’s plan to evict renters from mobile home parks, replace the mobile homes, and turn them into short-term rentals.

Posted in Arizona Politics, Community, Corporations, De-regulation, Democratic Governance, Development, Government, Housing, Interviews, Jobs and Employment, Legal Issues, Local Politics, Public Accountability, Regulation, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Jablow, Williamson Interview – Podcast February 23, 2025

Oliphant and Williamson Interview – Podcast February 16, 2025

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Yavapai College’s Astonishing Lack Of Transparency. Democratic Perspective welcomes Sedona City Council Member, Jessica Williamson, and retired law professor and author, Bob Oliphant, to discuss the latest developments at Yavapai College.

Actually, according to our guests, it’s increasingly difficult to know what the college is up to given that the college president refuses to meet with the Sedona City Council and that she has threatened staff with termination for speaking to members of the college’s Governing Board or the media. In addition, they detail many other actions by the president and the Governing Board that have been shrouded in secrecy.

Posted in Arizona Politics, Community, Community Activism, Continuing Education, Democratic Governance, Education, Education Funding, Education Policy, Ethics, Interviews, Investigative Journalism, Local Politics, Public Accountability, Public Education, Tax Revenues | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Oliphant and Williamson Interview – Podcast February 16, 2025

Trump Regime’s First 20 Days – Podcast February 9, 2025

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

The Felon-in-Chief’s First 20 Days In Office. Steve Williamson, Karen McClelland and Gary LaMaster review the actions of the new Trump Regime and Project 2025. We begin by reminding listeners that many psychologists have diagnosed Trump as a sociopath and malignant narcissist. And how that sociopath is now disassembling our constitutional democracy with the help of the world’s richest man.

We note that, although Trump was elected on the promise of lowering prices in the grocery store, he now says that he can’t. Indeed, his new tariffs and threats of tariffs to come have negatively impacted our economy and will likely raise prices.

Worse, Trump’s many executive orders and Elon Musk’s invasion of federal databases have created a constitutional crisis and compromised the privacy of millions of Americans.

Posted in Agricultural Policy, Anti-Federalism, Autocracy, Bigotry, Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Congressional Oversight, Constitutional Issues, Corporations, Corruption, De-regulation, Democratic Governance, Department of Justice, Domestic Extremism, Economic Policy, Education, Education Policy, Energy Policy, Environment, Ethics, Foreign Affairs, Funding, Government, Health Care, Human Rights, Immigration, Income Inequality, Industrial Policy, Inflation, Intelligence Agencies, International Relations, Judicial System, Legal Issues, Mass Incarceration, Misogyny, Morality, National Politics, National Security, Pandemic, Political Lies, Public Accountability, Public Education, Public Health Policy, Racism, Regulatory Agencies, Resistance, States' Rights, Supreme Court, Trade Policy, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trump Regime’s First 20 Days – Podcast February 9, 2025