Author Archives: Gary LaMaster

“The Most Fraudulent Budget In American History.”

That’s how Nobel Prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman, describes the Romney-Ryan budget plan. Those are strong words, yet they seem inadequate to describe the consequences of this plan if it’s ever adopted. A study by the Joint Economic Committee shows that the Romney-Ryan plan … Continue reading

Posted in Deficit Reduction, Economic Policy, Fiscal Policy, Government, Jobs and Employment, Military, National Politics, Taxes and the Deficit, U.S. Budget, Unemployment | Tagged , | Comments Off on “The Most Fraudulent Budget In American History.”

Mitt’s Money.

Through the Republican primaries, Gov. Mitt Romney resisted calls from other candidates to release more details of his net worth, tax returns, investments and assets. Even when he finally released his 2010 tax return, The Washington Post called them “the … Continue reading

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Fast And Furious Lies.

In the wake of the House vote to find Attorney General Holder in contempt of Congress, Democratic Perspective addressed the many misconceptions and lies surrounding the ATF operation known as Fast and Furious. Of course, the Congressman Darrell Issa and … Continue reading

Posted in ATF, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Firearms and Explosives, Gun Control, National Politics | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Fast And Furious Lies.

Bringing Sanity And Expertise To The Arizona Legislature.

The Verde Valley hasn’t had a representative in the legislature for a very long time; not since the Republican Party purged Tom O’Hallorhan as a RINO (Republican In Name Only) because he understood the value of improving public education. This … Continue reading

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Of Regulation, Risk, Deficits And Austerity.

Democratic Perspective is fortunate to have an outstanding economist in our ranks.  Chuck Williamson is a member of Verde Valley Independent Democrats and the brother of co-host, Stephen Williamson.  He spent his career in the banking industry, much of it as Chief Investment … Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Deficit Reduction, Economic Policy, Financial Crisis, Government, Health Care, Interviews, Investment Banking, National Debt Ceiling, National Politics, Taxes and the Deficit, U.S. Budget | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Of Regulation, Risk, Deficits And Austerity.

From Financial Crisis To Stagnation.

Democratic Perspective had the opportunity to interview Thomas Palley, PhD about his new book, From Financial Crisis to Stagnation, The Destruction of Shared Prosperity and the Role of Economics. Palley received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford University in … Continue reading

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A Prison System That Punishes Taxpayers.

Our own Bill Timberman was this week’s guest on Democratic Perspective. Bill has made several presentations in the past. This time, he focused on the privatization of prisons in Arizona. He began by saying, “This idea of the outsourcing and … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Budget, Arizona Politics, Corrections Policy, Economic Policy, Fiscal Policy, Government, Interviews, National Politics, Privatization | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A Prison System That Punishes Taxpayers.

First Native American Woman In Congress?

This week, Democratic Perspective welcomed Wenona Benally Baldenegro to the program. Wenona is a Democratic candidate for Congressional District 1 which includes Sedona, Flagstaff, Page and 11 Indian Reservations in eastern Arizona. She has been endorsed by Progressive Democrats of … Continue reading

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A Closer Look At Iran.

To gain more insight into the conflict with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, Democratic Perspective once again turned to Dr. Paul Lenze of Northern Arizona University. We began by asking Dr. Lenze to distinguish between Iran and Arabs, “This is … Continue reading

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More Hullabaloo.

In her latest interview with Democratic Perspective, Heather Parton (aka Digby) revealed the secret to her amazing success as a blogger: hard work. “I work seven days a week. I write every single day,” she said. “I’m sympathetic to anyone … Continue reading

Posted in Blogging, Deficit Reduction, Economic Policy, Economic Stimulus, Fiscal Policy, Government, Interviews, Medicaid, Medicare, National Debt Ceiling, National Politics, Social Security, Taxes and the Deficit, U.S. Budget | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on More Hullabaloo.