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Democratic Perspective

Democratic Perspective

Verde Valley Independent Democrats

Information Sources for The Democratic Perspective Radio Show on KAZM, AM780
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Top 10 Democratic Perspective Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Democratic Perspective episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Democratic Perspective for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Democratic Perspective episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Democratic Perspective - Singal Interview – Podcast January 18, 2021
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01/18/21 • 44 min

Looking Forward To The Biden Administration. On MLK Day, Professor Daniel Singal remembers meeting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He then offers his expectations for the Biden administration. Singal begins by noting that Biden has assembled an incredibly impressive cabinet that will be able to hit the deck running. “If you want to accomplish a lot in your first term, these are the kind of people you want to have as your assistants,” he says. “He’s really thinking ahead. He’s constructing a government with remarkable skill that we haven’t seen in years.”

Asked to list the new administration’s priorities that are most likely to succeed, Singal lists pandemic and economic relief in addition to infrastructure and climate change. He also believes Biden can have some success with police reform, as well as increasing support for community colleges and the care-giving workforce.

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Democratic Perspective - Richtman Interview – Podcast September 27, 2021
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09/27/21 • 44 min

Prioritizing Lives And Democracy Over The Filibuster. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome back Max Richtman, President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, to discuss the pending Human Infrastructure bill which is at the heart of President Biden’s agenda. As you likely already know, Democrats will try to pass the bill through a reconciliation process in order to avoid a filibuster. Yet Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin have announced they do not support the bill. As a result, the bill could die in the Senate. And, by opposing any changes to the filibuster, the two Democrats also threaten the proposed voting rights bill.

Nevertheless, Richtman is hopeful. He recently wrote a letter to Sinema in support of the two bills and co-authored an editorial in the Tucson Sentinel in hopes of influencing her. He explains that Sinema has reservations about the cost of the reconciliation bill. Yet the bill will be paid for, in large part, by raising taxes on the very wealthy and large corporation. Moreover, according to Richtman, by enabling the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid, the bill would save about $500 billion over 10 years.

Richtman notes that the bill could also improve the lives of seniors by providing enough funding to expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision. It would also increase the number of people who provide home care for seniors by increasing their salaries and benefits. Richtman believes that would save money in the long run, because it’s much cheaper to keep people in their homes.

The post Richtman Interview – Podcast September 27, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Comello, Segner Interview – Podcast April 5, 2021
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04/05/21 • 44 min

The Future Of Real Estate Development In Arizona’s Verde Valley. Democratic Perspective co-hosts Steve Williamson and Hava Derby engage in a lively discussion with guests, Al Comello and Steve Segner, over some of the area’s proposed developments.

Segner is owner of El Portal Hotel and President of the Sedona Lodging Council and Comello is a former candidate for Sedona’s City Council. Both are sympathetic to developers. “I’m supportive of almost all progressive issues. But there is a side of me that will make me sound like a staunch conservative,” says Comello. “I’m a supporter of development.” He adds, “The county is as big as a state. It’s going to grow.”

Segner describes the need for development in the area, saying, “We need medium priced and low-income housing. But we tend to fight every single development. We have got to stop being so negative.” On the other hand, he points to the lack of long-range planning, saying, “Yavapai County doesn’t have a master plan. So, when something comes up, everyone fights it. Development should be thought out ahead of time. Now it’s piecemeal.”

As Hava raises concerns with citizen input, fire danger, and limited water resources, Comello and Segner respond by stating that the County Board of Supervisors and City Councils are bound by state laws which don’t cover those issues. But it’s fair to say that, too often, developers and realtors have helped write those laws as a result of disproportionate representation in legislative bodies.

The post Comello, Segner Interview – Podcast April 5, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Podcast December 28, 2020

Podcast December 28, 2020

Democratic Perspective

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12/28/20 • 44 min

QAnon: Mystery? Treasure Hunt? Game? Political Group? Or Religious Cult? Hava Derby, Steve Williamson, and Gary LaMaster delve into the history, psychology and consequences of the phenomenon known as QAnon.

Beginning with a message board post in October of 2017 by an individual using the name “Q Clearance Patriot,” QAnon has grown to include millions of followers and hundreds of conspiracy theories. Its primary belief is that powerful Democrats, A-list celebrities, corporations and international organizations operate a satanic pedophile ring, or cabal, and Donald J. Trump was sent by God to save us from it.

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Democratic Perspective - Derby, Williamson Interview – Podcast May 24, 2021
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05/24/21 • 44 min

Hava And Steve One On One. The co-hosts spend some time chatting with one another to explain their differing approaches to politics and community. As the founder Democratic Perspective, Steve has been involved in politics for many years, while Hava is relatively new to politics. She describes herself as more of a community-interested person.

Reflecting on the current state of politics, Steve says, “I see a lot of divisiveness and anger. It’s local, too. I’m most disturbed by the lack of knowledge.” Hava looks at the divisiveness as more of a human issue saying, “We need to look at how our relationships are with each other. A lot of people are traumatized human beings. We have to really come to this with a compassionate heart. I’m really hopeful as we’re beginning to wind down lockdowns that people are going to talk to each other. I hope that things will get back to a more human level.”

The two go on to offer their thoughts on community, nationalism, the criminal justice system and more.

The post Derby, Williamson Interview – Podcast May 24, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Richtman Interview – Podcast  June 7, 2021
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06/07/21 • 44 min

The Infrastructure Of Aging. Steve Williamson welcomes back Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare to discuss the $400 billion for elderly care included in President Biden’s infrastructure bill.

Though it’s not what many consider infrastructure, Richtman stresses the importance of the proposal as an additional 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. At some point, most of those people will require some form of care. It’s more efficient and humane to care for them in their own homes. But, Richtman says, “There simply are not enough homecare workers in this country to meet the demand now, let alone in the future.”

Richtman explains that one of the reasons for the shortage is that salaries are so pitiful (the average salary is just $17,000 a year). He adds, “One of the things I find that is so amazing is that we are relying on unpaid caregivers in this country. Mostly women. They often have to leave the work force.” According to Richtman, this compounds the problem, noting that when they leave the workforce, they’re not paying into Social Security. As a result, they’re sacrificing their own Social Security benefits in the future. He says the proposed bill would create a caregivers’ formula that would be applied to the Social Security structure so their benefits would not be reduced.

Richtman notes the proposal is about 20 percent of the president’s infrastructure bill. “I think it’s important to give Biden credit for trying to prioritize elderly homecare in this package,” he says. “We’re going to have more seniors requiring care with fewer young people around to provide it.”

The post Richtman Interview – Podcast June 7, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Richtman Interview – Podcast July 26, 2021
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07/26/21 • 44 min

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.

The post Richtman Interview – Podcast July 26, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Michaels Interview – Podcast August 9, 2021
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08/09/21 • 44 min

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.”

The post Michaels Interview – Podcast August 9, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Kuby Interview – Podcast October 25, 2021
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10/25/21 • 44 min

Prioritizing People Over Corporations. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Lauren Kuby to Democratic Perspective. Kuby is a Tempe City Councilmember who is running for a seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission along with current incumbent Sandra Kennedy. If elected, the two will join incumbent Anna Tovar to create the first Democratic majority on the powerful five-member board that controls the state’s utilities and corporations.

In addition to her duties as a Tempe Councilmember, Kuby is a sustainability scientist at ASU and a nationally recognized champion for affordable, clean energy from renewable sources. If elected to the commission, she will seek to help oversee the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. And, given the extreme weather events and water shortages caused by climate change, the stakes for the 2022 election could not be higher.

In next year’s general elections. Kuby’s and Kennedy’s opponents will likely be Republicans whose campaigns are financed by the very utilities they hope to regulate. So, it’s important for all voters, especially Democrats, to look down the entire ballot and vote for a more sustainable future.

The post Kuby Interview – Podcast October 25, 2021 first appeared on Democratic Perspective.

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Democratic Perspective - Jordahl Interview – Podcast February 1, 2021
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02/01/21 • 44 min

The Ecological Disasters Created By The Border Wall. Laiken Jordahl, borderlands campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, joins Steve Williamson to discuss the devastating ecological impact of the border wall.

Jordahl notes that about 450 miles of new border wall have been built that have ripped necessary wildlife habitat in two. There are only about a dozen more miles of wall to be built in Arizona. “If that’s completed,” he says, “it will end Jaguar recovery in Arizona. The habitat segmentation is disastrous for all wildlife, leading to inbreeding and cutting off wildlife from food and limited water sources.” We’re already seeing the consequences, according to Jordahl. He explains that a Mule Deer was recently found dead next to the wall, likely because it could no longer find a path to water. “These animals have not evolved to understand border walls,” he says. “Many others will meet a similar fate.”

He also notes that the wall has a devastating impact on border communities and indigenous people whose lands have been cut in two. “These people, just like the wildlife, are deeply interconnected,” says Jordahl. “We have to understand that these walls don’t prevent anyone from crossing. The wall does nothing to keep us safe. We have to find sections of the wall to come down to restore Jaguar habitat and migratory corridors. We need to consult with tribal leaders and compensate for sacred lands and sacred sites that have been destroyed. It has been a difficult four years for those of us who live down here.”

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FAQ

How many episodes does Democratic Perspective have?

Democratic Perspective currently has 216 episodes available.

What topics does Democratic Perspective cover?

The podcast is about News and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Democratic Perspective?

The episode title 'Richtman Interview – Podcast September 21, 2020' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Democratic Perspective?

The average episode length on Democratic Perspective is 44 minutes.

How often are episodes of Democratic Perspective released?

Episodes of Democratic Perspective are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Democratic Perspective?

The first episode of Democratic Perspective was released on Nov 13, 2018.

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