Deardon, White Interview – Podcast August 30, 2021

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

A Master Class On Sedona And Arizona Schools. Guest host Karen McClelland, a former school board member, is joined in the studio by Sedona-Oak Creek School District Superintendent Dennis Deardon and Sedona Red Rock High Junior, Hunter White.

Faced with the pandemic and declining enrollment, Deardon took on the dual role of Superintendent and Principal. The move seems to have paid dividends for the school. Despite the disruption caused by Covid-19 and a housing shortage, the school has added 75 students!

The turnabout seems to have come about, at least in part, as a result of innovation. For example, the school added White to the school board as a student representative, giving young people the opportunity to have their voices heard and their questions answered. For more, check out our podcast. Class is now in session.

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Posted in Community, Community Activism, Cultural Diversity, Education, Education Funding, Education Policy, Innovation, Interviews, Pandemic, Public Education | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Deardon, White Interview – Podcast August 30, 2021

Gunnigle Interview – Podcast August 23, 2021

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

Holding Police Accountable. As the next in our eight-part of our series on criminal justice, Hava welcomes attorney Julie Gunnigle to discuss the DOJ investigation of the Phoenix Police Department and a variety of other civil rights issues.

Gunnigle begins by noting, “The story of this investigation goes back years because Phoenix Police Department and some of those in the outlying areas have been some of the most violent in the nation. That violence hasn’t been met with any kind of accountability within our prosecutor’s office. But that was just one of 5 different issues that made the DOJ step into our county.”

She says the other issues included charging protesters with criminal gang enhancements for exercising their first amendment rights, ongoing issues with respect to our unhoused population and those experiencing mental health incidents, and the 2017 death of Muhammed Muhayim who died in the same way as George Floyd. “It’s been shameful, and I think it really show that police are unable to police police and, for that reason, you have to have the feds step in,” says Gunnigle. “Now I’m not really optimistic as to what happens next. But it is a step, and it speaks to exactly how urgent and dire the situation in Arizona is.”

On the other hand, one issue that does give Gunnigle hope is the HR4 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Bill to restore parts of the voting rights act gutted by SCOTUS. Congress is expected to vote on the bill this week.

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Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Civil Rights, Civil Society, Community Activism, Criminal Justice Reform, Criminology, Cultural Change, Department of Justice, Government, Housing, Human Rights, Interviews, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Mental Health Programs, Morality, Policing, Public Accountability, Race and Class, Racial Discrimination, U.S. Court System, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Gunnigle Interview – Podcast August 23, 2021

Hoffman, Constabile Interview – Podcast, August 16, 2021

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

All Things Elections. Guest host Kathy Kinsella welcomes Yavapai County Recorder, Leslie Hoffman, and Elections Director, Lynn Constabile, to discuss election procedures and election security in Arizona.

In a few minutes, these experienced professionals explain everything you need to know about voter registration, how elections are conducted, how mail-in ballots are verified, how ballots are secured, and how ballots are counted. Their expertise should give voters everywhere assurance regarding the integrity of our elections.

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Michaels Interview – Podcast August 9, 2021

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

The Importance Of Stewardship. Democratic Perspective co-host Hava welcomes Donna Michaels to discuss her first six months in office as a Yavapai County supervisor. She begins by noting that stewardship is the key to a healthy community. To that end, she is focused on creating a ten-year plan with input from the public – “A document that guides us for the next ten years.”

“I urge everyone to go online to take the survey,” she says. “Hopefully, by 2022, we’ll have a document that reflects who we want to be.”

Michaels lists some of the issues facing the county are homelessness on forest lands, affordable and attainable housing, and destruction caused by off-road vehicles (ATVs). “What we’re seeing is an unprecedented destruction of our forest lands,” says Michaels. “I had no idea the kind of damage that is occurring around the clock by these vehicles. Had I not seen it, I would not have believed it.” To address the issue, she intends to look at how other communities are addressing ATV use and abuse. “I’m hopeful we’ll benchmark best practices,” she says. “There is nothing we can’t do together.”

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Posted in Civic Renewal, Community, Community Activism, Environment, Environmental Issues, Federal Lands, Government, Housing, Interviews, Local Politics, Policing, Public Accountability, Public Lands, Public Policy, Public Service, Tourism, U.S. Forest Service, Wilderness Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Michaels Interview – Podcast August 9, 2021

Goodwin Interview – Podcast August 2, 2021

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

Philosophy And Climate Change. Filling in for Steve and Hava, Holli Ploog welcomes Matthew Goodwin, PhD to the show. Goodwin is a professor at Northern Arizona University, founder of Sedona Philosophy and an activist for addressing the climate crisis.

He begins by explaining that philosophy literally means love of wisdom. “It’s not the same thing as knowledge,” he says. “Wisdom is about what we do with our knowledge. It is something we spend our lifetime trying to achieve. And we never really know when we have achieved it.”

“That’s where I think global warming is a philosophical issue. We have quite a bit of knowledge about what we can do. But it’s not necessarily what we should do. We need to start thinking philosophically about what kinds of technologies we’re using…we’re relying on very old technology. And there’s a lot of current technology that we should be using more of. Science tells us that we have the technology available to replace all of our energy demands. So, renewables…mainly solar, wind and hydro are currently capable of replacing all of our fossil fuels. It doesn’t mean that it’s cheap. So, I’m not trying to say that it’s a free technology. It does require an investment. But it is a long-term investment that means in the long run we will be making cheap electricity. The difference is that the cost is up front. And that’s one of the big challenges.”

Goodwin goes on to discuss Sedona’s action plan to achieve 50 percent carbon reduction by 2030, the resistance to addressing climate change, misinformation, and more.

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Posted in Climate Change, Community, Community Activism, Disinformation, Domestic Policy, Education, Environment, Environmental Issues, Global Warming, Infrastructure, Infrastructure Investment, Innovation, Interviews, Mass Migration, Philosophy, Public Policy, Public Private Collaboration, Renewable Energy, Technology, Water Policy | Tagged , | Comments Off on Goodwin Interview – Podcast August 2, 2021

Richtman Interview – Podcast July 26, 2021

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

The Impact Of Biden’s Spending Plan On Medicare And Social Security. Democratic Perspective co-host Steve Williamson welcomes back frequent guest Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, to discuss the proposed $3.5 trillion spending plan for human infrastructure.

“The impact on Medicare is huge,” says Richtman. “If this actually happens…it would be the first major expansion of Medicare benefits in nearly 20 years. Now we have an opportunity to add hearing, dental and vision to the program. These are such important components of healthcare that have been neglected over the years.”

Richtman also hopes the bill will include a provision that mandates the federal government negotiate drug prices – an idea supported by 70 -80 percent of voters across party lines. He explains that would save Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries $450 billion over 10 years. But Richtman says that is certain to be opposed by Big Pharma. “The argument that pharmaceutical companies use is that this is socialism. But I thought that negotiating for the best price for anything…to me that’s capitalism.”

Their other argument is that negotiating prices would limit Big Pharma’s ability to do research. But Richtman counters that a lot of the research money that goes into developing drugs comes from the federal government. “I have seen analysis of how much pharmaceutical companies spend on lobbying…tens of millions of dollars. They’re putting money into stock buybacks. They’re putting it into enormous salaries for chief executives…and ads. It’s a phony argument. It’s designed to scare people.”

Richtman notes that the budget proposals do not specifically deal with Social Security. But he says he’s confident that we have a President who has made a commitment to improve Social Security.

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Posted in Aging, Budget Negotiations, Capitalism, Economic Policy, Fiscal Policy, Health Care Policy, Interviews, Medicaid, Medicare, National Politics, Pharmaceutical Pricing and Procurement, Pharmaceuticals, Public Health Policy, Social Security, U.S. Budget | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Richtman Interview – Podcast July 26, 2021

Ploog Interview – July 19, 2021

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

Making Sure Voters Select Their Representatives. Not Vice Versa. Democratic Perspective co-host Steve Williamson welcomes Holli Ploog to the show to discuss the once-every-decade redistricting of legislative and congressional districts in Arizona. Ploog is currently a member of the Sedona City Council.

She begins by explaining that Arizona is one of only 13 states that have an independent redistricting commission to create the districts based on the census. According to Ploog, the commission is comprised of five members – two each appointed by the legislative leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as the chairperson who must be an independent. There cannot be more than one member from a single county. Additionally, members cannot be active in a political party or have run for office within a certain timeframe before the process.

The redistricting process begins with grid maps of contiguous districts with equal population. The commission then modifies the maps according to other factors such as communities of interest (healthcare, transportation, tourism, commerce, education, etc.), as well as geographical boundaries, and competitiveness. Finally, the commission requests the public’s input. It’s a complex, but necessary process to prevent partisan gerrymandering.

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Epstein, McClelland Interview – July 12, 2021

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

Arizona’s Race To The Bottom. Our co-hosts welcome Karen McClelland and AZ State Representative Mitzi Epstein to the show to discuss the state budget recently passed by a slim Republican majority. Epstein is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives who has served since 2017.

“This in a word, is a rotten budget,” says Epstein. “A huge tax cut for the very, very wealthy.” She explains that the new budget not only cut taxes for the wealthy. It changed the entire tax structure. “Start with the flat income tax,” she says. “You want income taxes to be progressive, because everything else is regressive. [But] thanks to the Trust Fund tax loophole, if you are extremely wealthy, you can avoid paying taxes altogether.”

One casualty of the budget is funding for public education. According to Epstein and McClelland, the legislature cut education funding by $300 million in defiance of a recently passed voter initiative intended to increase education funding. As a result, Arizona’s teacher salaries will remain the lowest in the nation and its per pupil spending will remain among the nation’s lowest.

The changes are part of the Republican-controlled state government’s desire to be a low tax state. But as Epstein notes, “Arizona is a low tax state only for the wealthiest.”

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Posted in Arizona Budget, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Budget Negotiations, Economic Policy, Education, Education Funding, Education Policy, Government, inherited Wealth, Interviews, Political Parties, Political Theory, Public Education, Tax and Investment Policy, Tax Law, Tax Revenues, Taxation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Epstein, McClelland Interview – July 12, 2021

The GOP Brain – Podcast July 5, 2021

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

The Science Behind Our Political Divide. Following a well-deserved tribute to Barbara J. Litrell on her passing, the co-hosts continue their discussion about the unsettling changes to the GOP. Hava points to scientific studies that show there is a physical difference in the brains of conservatives and liberals. The studies have shown that conservative brains have a larger right amygdala that focuses on fear and the need to feel safe. As a result, conservatives more readily recall negative images and value loyalty and stability. In addition, they more often see things through a religious filter.

On the other hand, liberals have more activity in the left insula and a larger cingulate gyrus. As a result, they love change and new information. They value science. They’re more willing to take risks. And they have greater social awareness.

Hava notes that brain structure and activity can indicate one’s political leanings with a 71-82 percent rate of predictability.

Steve adds that liberals are more interested in personal freedom, justice, and fairness. While conservatives are more concerned with structure and safety. Fear becomes an overriding issue for conservatives. He points to their past and present obsessions with integration, the Cold War, immigration, racial protests, election security, big government, gun laws, and abortion. All of which makes one wonder: Why are they not more concerned about climate change and mass extinctions?

Hava says that knowing that our political leanings have a genetic physical cause kind of humanizes the divide for me. “It takes the emotion out of it.”

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Posted in Bigotry, Conservative Paranoia, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Conspiracy Theories, Cultural Change, Cultural Diversity, Domestic Extremism, Ethics, Firearms Legislation, Foreign Affairs, Gun Control, Human Rights, Immigration, LIberals and Conservatives, Morality, National Politics, Political Lies, Racial Discrimination, Refugees, Religion, Social Psychology | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The GOP Brain – Podcast July 5, 2021

McClelland Interview – Podcast June 28, 2021

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Gary LaMaster

The GOP Attack On Education, Expertise, and Democracy. Karen McClelland, the longest-serving Sedona school board member, and a member of the Democratic State Committee joins Steve and Hava in a lively roundtable discussion on the state of the GOP. Beginning with the controversial Arizona budget bill, McClelland says, “There’s nothing particularly good coming out of the budget. In Arizona, the Republican governor writes budget and gives it to the Republican legislative leadership. Often even Republican members don’t know what it contains. It then passes on straight party line vote. This year, the budget contains all sorts of policy issues.”

For those unfamiliar with the budget bill, the GOP-led Senate added wording which would increase the money for school vouchers in defiance of the majority of voters and the GOP-led House added wording that all Arizona schools would have to present a civics curriculum written by the conservative Koch-funded Freedom Institute. McClelland adds that the “budget” bill also forbids teachers from teaching “controversial” subjects, such as Critical Race Theory (which is only taught in university law schools) and the 1619 Project. She says the Republicans do not want students to be taught critical thinking, i.e., the ability to think for oneself.

Asked how to change the super-partisanship of the legislature, McClelland replies, “The only way to change the system is to change the people sitting in the chairs.”

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Posted in Arizona Budget, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Conservative Paranoia, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Conspiracy Theories, Domestic Extremism, Education, Education Funding, Education Policy, Government, Health Care, Interviews, Medicaid, Mental Health Programs, National Politics, Paul Gosar, Political Lies, Privatization, Public Accountability, Public Education, Race and Class, Slavery, Taxation, Voter Suppression | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on McClelland Interview – Podcast June 28, 2021