Author Archives: Gary LaMaster

More Extreme Arizona.

On March 5th, Democratic Perspective examined the 2012 session of the Arizona Legislature which, once again, seems to have dived into the shallow end of the pool and hit their collective heads. We all know what happened to the Arizona … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Government | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on More Extreme Arizona.

Voter Fraud Isn’t Real. Voter Suppression Is.

On February 27, Democratic Perspective continued its discussion of GOP-backed voter ID laws which seem to be aimed at suppressing the vote of minorities, students and the elderly. Republicans insist the laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud. However, numerous … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Elections, National Politics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Voter ID Laws: The Latest Attempt To Disenfranchise Voters.

Democratic Perspective recently addressed the issue of GOP-backed voter ID laws which have been introduced in 34 states. Among other things, these new laws require a voter to provide a current photo ID in order to exercise his or her … Continue reading

Posted in Elections, National Politics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Voter ID Laws: The Latest Attempt To Disenfranchise Voters.

Government For Sale.

On February 13th, Democratic Perspective co-hosts, Steve Williamson and Mike Cosentino continued their series on the influence of money in politics. They began by listing a few eye-opening statistics: $3.5 billion is spent on lobbying each year. (And that’s just … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Campaign Finance, Dark Money, Elections, Front Organizations, Government, National Politics | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Government For Sale.

More On The Economy With Dean Baker.

Democratic Perspective continued its discussion with acclaimed economist, Dean Baker by asking about the current debate over taxation of the wealthy. “Progressives need a new approach to politics,” he replied. “Most of the public debate is conservatives want to leave things … Continue reading

Posted in Economic Policy, Fiscal Policy, Government, Interviews, National Politics, Taxes and the Deficit | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on More On The Economy With Dean Baker.

An Expert’s View Of Our Economy.

Following President Obama’s State of The Union address, Democratic Perspective invited Dean Baker to discuss the economy. A highly respected macro-economist and co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Baker writes a weekly commentary on the economy which … Continue reading

Posted in Economic Policy, Economic Stimulus, Elections, Fiscal Policy, Government, Interviews, Monetary Policy, National Politics, Taxes and the Deficit | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on An Expert’s View Of Our Economy.

Money. Money. And More Money.

This week, Democratic Perspective continued our “Follow the Money” series on PACs (Political Action Committees) and Super Pacs. To illustrate the problem, we chose to focus on contributions to Congressman Paul Gosar since he is currently our representative. Under current … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Citizens United, Dark Money, Elections, National Politics, Paul Gosar, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Money. Money. And More Money.

Independents, Education And Healthcare.

This week, Democratic Perspective continued our conversation with James Ledbetter, Cottonwood attorney and behind-the-scenes Democratic Party leader. We began by asking Mr. Ledbetter about the independent voters in Arizona. “Independents are a huge factor, a growing factor,” he said. “Democrats … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Education, Health Care | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Independents, Education And Healthcare.

“Compromise And Bipartisanship Are Not Dirty Words.”

This week, Democratic Perspective spoke with James Ledbetter, founder of the Cottonwood law firm bearing his name. He is President of the Mingus Union School Board and currently serves on the Boards of Northern Arizona Healthcare, the Verde Valley Medical … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Elections, Health Care, Interviews, National Politics, Paul Gosar | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on “Compromise And Bipartisanship Are Not Dirty Words.”

America’s Big Government Future, Cont’d.

To further examine the role of government in America’s future, Democratic Perspective once again spoke with Lane Kenworthy, author and Professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of Arizona. In his latest appearance on the program, we again … Continue reading

Posted in Economic Policy, Government, Interviews, National Politics, Social Security | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on America’s Big Government Future, Cont’d.