Another Show Worth Revisiting. Democratic Perspective replays one of our favorite shows July 21, 2014. The guest is Michael Austin discussing his books That’s Not What They Meant: Reclaiming the Founding Fathers from America’s Right Wing and Rereading Job: Understanding the Ancient World’s Greatest Poem. Austin provides valuable perspective on the framing of the US Constitution and issues ranging from state’s rights to gun rights.
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Constitution and the First Amendment. Out of respect for social distancing, Democratic Perspective rebroadcasts some of our best shows of seven years of Democratic Perspective. We begin with Fergus Bordewich discussing the Founders and the Constitutional Convention.
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The Most Powerful Entity In State Government That Nobody Knows Anything About. Democratic Perspective contributors welcome Anna Tovar, Shea Stanfield and Bill Mundell to the show. All three are Democratic candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission with the goal of wresting control of the commission from the companies they regulate and returning it to the people.
Mundell, who previously served on the commission and was the subject of attacks from the utilities it regulates, calls the commission the fourth branch of government charged with regulating government-created monopolies. He says, “In territorial days, it was called the Railroad Commission. It has come full circle with very powerful forces in Arizona.” Stanfield explains, “Pinnacle West and APS have bought four of five regulators currently sitting on the commission. The three of us are running clean. We don’t take any corporate money. No PAC money.”
“The name may not be very jazzy,” says Tovar. “But it is very important. We need commissioners who are independent…so that everyday people are being protected.
The three candidates need Arizona voters to sign petitions to get them on the ballot and make $5.00 donations to unlock funds from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission. You can sign petitions and make donations online at AZSOS.gov.
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Coronavirus, Economic Relief, Social Security, and Medicare. Democratic Perspective welcomes Dan Adcock, Government Relations and Policy Director for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare to discuss potential changes to Social Security and current political proposals.
Regarding the economic relief packages under consideration, Adcock says he’s worried that the stimulus will never get down to the people. It’s too focused on help for corporations with no strings attached. Under McConnell’s proposal, people who make the least money get the least benefit – between $600-$1,200. As a starter, this is particularly ill-thought-out. Seniors would have obstacles.”
“In the past, corporations get big money and use it for stock buybacks,” he continues. “We’re hoping the priorities of Senate Democrats will prevail with protections that allow no buybacks. Stimulus should be in the form of loans and have oversight.” He goes on to discuss proposed cuts to Social Security and SSI.
As for the future of Social Security and Medicare, Adcock mentions that there are some positive plans, such as Rep. John Larson’s Social Security 2100 Act. It would not only expand benefits. It would strengthen the program’s future. It would also increase spending on healthcare. Larson is trying to have it inserted into the stimulus.
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Verde Connect or Verde Disconnect? The co-hosts welcome Zach Wolfe & Todd Scantlebury to discuss a proposed highway project in the Verde Valley that has become controversial. The project would extend Beaverhead Flat Road to connect with AZ State Hwy 260. After learning about it some 17 months ago, the guests are leading a movement to block the plan. You can learn more at their website: VerdeDisconnect.com
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“Billionaires Buying Out Millionaires.” Co-hosts Steve Williamson and Mike Cosentino welcome Randy Garrison of the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors back to the show. Garrison is the Republican incumbent who is being challenged in the coming election by Democratic candidate, Donna Michaels. After explaining why he believes the Verde Valley is best represented by a Republican, Garrison addresses the most pressing issues in the Verde Valley such as population growth, land development and the shortage of workforce housing created by short-term rentals.
He describes the problem with short-term rentals in Sedona as a plague, saying the word around the city is that billionaires are buying out millionaires, making housing unaffordable for the people who work here. Garrison notes that Sedona currently needs 1,800 affordable homes just for the workforce we already have. The problem will only become greater as the area and the state continue to grow.
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Power Politics, Religion And Economic Exploitation In The Middle East. Steve Williamson and Mike Cosentino welcome Paul Lenze back to the program to discuss current events in the Middle East. Lenze is a professor of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University.
The wide-ranging conversation covers US foreign policy, the future of Iran, Iraq, Palestine and the prospects for peace. Lenze notes the similarities in US foreign policy under the past three administrations, saying that stopping conflicts and protecting human rights are less of an issue than pursuing policies that benefit our oil and gas companies.
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Mike Cosentino’s Magical Tour Of Old Town Cottonwood. Mike, Steve and Klaus welcome George Gehlert and Jim Ariola to discuss the transformation of Old Town Cottonwood, Arizona.
Once known as the “Biggest Little Town In Arizona,” it began as a mining and ranching community. Since then it has undergone a number of transformations. It featured speakeasies and bootleggers in the 1920s. Later, it was host to movie stars who appeared in films that were made in the area. “By the 1990s, things were pretty dead down there,” says Jim. But, through the work of a lot of people, it has experienced a renaissance. Now it’s a tourist attraction that’s home to lots of restaurants, seven wine tasting rooms, boutique hotels, shops and bars all in a three-block stretch.
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Supporting Equality. Steve, Mike and Klaus welcome Kathy Kinsella and J.J. O’Brien of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians And Gays), a group that supports LGBTQ rights. The organization was founded in 1973 by the mother of a young gay man who was beaten as police watched. The Sedona Verde Valley chapter began in 2011. According to O’Brien, PFLAG meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm at the Sedona Public Library.
Kinsella reminds listeners that, despite marriage equality, there is no federal non-discrimination law. Only about half of the states have non-discrimination laws. Unfortunately, Arizona is not one of them.
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Class Action Lawsuits – A Necessary Remedy. Steve, Mike and Klaus welcome Greg Munro, retired law professor and interim dean of the University of Montana Law School to discuss class action lawsuits. Munro begins by stating, “Class action is one of the only ways to hold corporations accountable.”
Asked about the impact of tort reform on class actions, Munro explains that tort reformers have succeeded in instituting all sorts of caps by claiming that the reforms clear the courts of unnecessary lawsuits. Yet the corporations pushing for tort reform, use the courts more than anyone else. “Tort reform takes away peoples’ rights,” he says. “The result is more power for corporations.” Munro goes on to state, “The greatest tort reform ever would be to enact universal healthcare because most of the lawsuits are the result of medical expenses.”
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