Category: Big Government

13-25 Education & Capitulation | The One Thing Oregon Parents Have Right Now

13-25 Education & Capitulation | The One Thing Oregon Parents Have Right Now

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Show 13-25 Summary: Conservative Oregonians once again are disappointed by the “republicans” in the senate. With victory assured and merely needing to coast down hill to kill off HB2002, the anti-parental-rights bill, they instead managed to steer into a ditch. Now, HB2002 is law. And the Oregon republican party is celebrating this as a victory? We interview Sen. Dennis Linthicum about what happened and why. But first, we speak with Donna Kreitzberg about education freedom for Oregon: school choice. Since we clearly cannot depend on elected officials to defend parents’ rights, school choice in Oregon is the one thing parents can grab hold of. It’s up to us now.

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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, six different times, on seven different stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to the I Spy Radio Show. Podcast available Mondays after the show airs on out network of stations.

Original Air Dates: June 24th & 25th, 2023 | Guests: Donna Kreitzberg & Dennis Linthicum

This Week – Republican Capitulation

Two weeks ago, we interviewed republican Senator Dennis Linthicum. And it was exciting. Republican had won. Their walkout had worked. They had killed off HB2002, the democrats’ anti-parental-rights bill. The bill that would allow the state to indoctrinate kids with leftist propaganda, permanently mutilate children to fulfill the weird sex fantasies of the adults in their lives, and punish people who did not bow to their extremism. It was dead. All hail the republicans!

And it wasn’t just HB2002. Horrible gun bills. Ranked choice voting. The republicans had stopped hundreds of far left bills in their tracks. All they had to do was stay out of the building and the bills were dead. All of them.

But then, less than one week later, the republicans inexplicably gave it all back. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

What on Earth happened? We talk with Senator Linthicum again this week to try to make sense of the mess.

Also This Week: Parents Rights and School Choice

Republicans claim to be for parents’ rights. They claim they want to stop radical far-left woke ideology, especially in schools. But we just witnessed them capitulate on HB2002, which puts the state between parents and their own children. So if republicans can’t be trusted to stand up for the values they claim to hold, what then?

Parents Rights - Case Studies Counts - Effects of School Choice Programs
Click for full-size. Note: some rows totals are off due to some studies have multiple findings.

Thankfully, there is a solution for parental rights when it comes to their child’s education. School choice. And because politicians of both parties can’t be trusted to put parents’ rights over the state, the ballot initiatives for school choice in Oregon goes around the politicians. The school choice initiatives will put school choice and the funding for it directly in Oregon’s constitution. No politicians needed. And politicians won’t be able to easily undo it if there is a change in political control.

Actual rights. No politician needed.

Check out this huge list where they are gathering signatures!

We welcome back Donna Kreitzberg to discuss how things are going, and some of the big events they will be at this summer. To qualify for the ballot, the deadline to turn in the signatures is July 5, 2024. Tune in to hear how you can help.

And did you know there are three main “cases” for school choice? The liberal, the libertarian, and the conservative? We most often hear about the first two. But it’s actually the conservative argument for school choice that experts have found to be the most persuasive. Why? Because it focuses on parents’ rights.

Imagine that.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Linthicum Segments (4–6)

  • Bills moving forward after republicans end their walkout: Anti-gun bills, I-5 bridge, tax credits (Taxpayer Association, June, 21, 2023)
  • Post-walkout, another win for democrats: Oregon rent control bill passes out of Senate, heads to House (Portland Biz Journal, June 20, 2021)
  • Oregon lawmakers make deal to end Senate walkout. Here’s how key bills were changed (OPB, June 24, 2023)
    • Not only did republicans get little or nothing, they wiped out the careers of all those senators: “all 10 are expected to be blocked from running for reelection under a ballot measure passed by voters last November.”
    • And there’s this: “The deal is contingent on the GOP agreeing to waive normal procedural rules, a step that will allow Democrats to fast-track hundreds of bills awaiting passage in the Senate.”
  • Oregon lawmakers rush to pass bills backlogged by GOP walkout before end of session (OPB, June 22, 2023)
  • It’s not just Oregon: How to Arrest the Government – Trump’s indictment puts pressure on GOP aspirants to propose sweeping reforms. (Kimberley Strassel, WSJ, June 15, 2023)
    • “The indictment was the straw that broke the elephant’s back, the kick the party needed to get serious [about reforming government].”
13-24 What a Former Communist Activist Can Teach the Right about Winning

13-24 What a Former Communist Activist Can Teach the Right about Winning

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Show 13-24 Summary: At a time when Oregon Republican senators had the win locked up, but chose defeat instead, maybe a former communist can teach them something about winning. Farehlee Nelson, a former activist for Earth First and a lobbyist for such organizations as Greenpeace, joins us this week to tell us about her conversion story and her efforts to unify conservatives in Oregon.

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Original Air Dates: June 17th & 18th, 2023 | Guest: Farehlee Nilsson

This Week – A Former Communist Defects to the Right

Here on I Spy Radio, we’ve interviewed many people who’ve made studying and researching and dissecting and exposing the Far Left their life’s mission. Ron Arnold, Trevor Loudon, JoAnne Nova, Ron Rychlak and Lt. Gen. Ian Pacepa, and too many others to list. But it’s rare that we get to talk directly to a former communist. Who now wants to expose the Left. And teach the Right how to use some of the same successful tactics to win.

Win. In Oregon? Yes, it’s possible. Tune in to hear her journey getting deep into the Left. And her conversion story that woke her up to what the Left was all about.

We’ll have Farehlee back as soon as we can after the Fourth of July. We’ll dig even deeper into tactics and operations. And one thing we’d definitely like to know about: infiltrating your enemy.

Because something is seriously wrong with Oregon’s elected “Republicans.”

Oregon Republican Senate Walkout Update

After last week’s show with Senator Dennis Linthicum, things were looking great to stop HB2002. Not to mention stopping a bunch of other terrible bills Oregon’s democrats were ready to shove through with their slim margins.

All Republicans in the Senate had to do was continue to deny quorum and the bills were dead. Just hang on for another couple of weeks.

But then out the blue, Senate Minority Leader, Tim Knopp, gave in. Strike the colors and raise the white flag. He and at least two other republicans gave the democrats the bodies they needed for quorum.

What happened?

Don’t miss next week. We’ll talk with Sen. Dennis Linthicum to find out what happened.

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13-23 The Truth about the Oregon Republican Senator Walkout | HB2002

13-23 The Truth about the Oregon Republican Senator Walkout | HB2002

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Show 13-23 Summary: Unsurprisingly, the Oregon democrats and their media have been spinning a lot of lies about the Republican Senators walkout. They’re saying Republicans are refusing to come to work. A dereliction of duty. A vacation on the taxpayers’ dime. Weird. What do democrats call not showing up for work when public unions do it? Could it be a “strike”? But the democrats are also lying about why the republican senators walked out. HB2002. The democrats are claiming this is an important, emergency abortion rights bill, given the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. But they’re lying about that too. HB2002 is perhaps the most extreme, Far Left bill ever passed in Oregon. Tune in and keep reading to find out why.

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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, six different times, on seven different stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to the I Spy Radio Show. Podcast available Mondays after the show airs on out network of stations.

Original Air Dates: June 10th & 11th, 2023 | Guest: Senator Dennis Linthicum

This Week – The Truth about Oregon Senate Republicans’ Walkout

Oregon Republican Senators walked out of the legislature in early May 2023. Doing so denied the democrats the needed legislative quorum to pass any bills at all. The reason is simple. The democrats, who lost seats in both the Oregon house and the Oregon senate but still act like they have a super majority, refused to compromise the extreme far left bill, HB 2002. (Sometimes also called HB2002B.) And while HB 2002 alone would have been enough to make any sane person walk out it wasn’t just HB2002. It was also to stop other far-left bills such as HB2005, an anti-Second-Amendment gun grab bill. And bills that would steal Oregonians’ kicker refund. Not just this year but forever.

But make no mistake. The real reason the Republican senators walked out was to stop HB2002.

The Reason for the Walkout: HB2002

HB2002 is perhaps the most extreme far-left ideology bill of all times to come out of Oregon.

Long-time listeners of I Spy Radio already know that under Oregon’s “healthcare transformation,” much of what HB2002 proposes is already in place. Thanks to Oregon’s Healthcare Authority (there’s that Nazi-esque name again), underage girls can already get abortions without their parents’ knowledge or consent. Why and how? Because the OHA changed the insurance rules covering children from FERPA to HIPPA.

Remember when you couldn’t get aspirin from the school nurse without your parents’ consent? That’s because the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (or FERPA), acknowledged that parents have the ultimate say about their child’s health. And the raising of them. But the OHA changed the guidelines from FERPA to HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). You might know about HIPPA. Because that’s the health care privacy that guides adult insurance policies.

In other words, the OHA now treats all children as if they are adults. Allowing them to make adult decisions about their own healthcare, including mental health. And parents have no rights to know or to “interfere”. The only right parents have is the right to pay for whatever their child wants.

What Oregon democrats want to do with HB2002 is to codify this extreme, anti-parent, far-left ideology into law. Why? Because laws are much harder to undo.

And let’s not forget. The democrats nearly lost the governor’s office in 2022. This is why the democrats are so willing to sell everything to try to get HB2002 through.

So what’s in HB 2002? Read on.

The Truth about Oregon’s HB2002

The Oregon democrats are desperate to confuse people about HB2002 and what it does. What they say it does is guarantee abortion rights and access. It’s an emergency! Women have to have access now that the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade. Well. To use one of Biden’s favorite terms, that’s malarkey.

Women already have access to abortion in Oregon. Hell. Women and children can come here from other states and get abortions. For free if they claim they can’t afford it. Those are already in Oregon law. And absolutely nothing about Dobbs or the overturning of Roe v. Wade changed any of that.

If that’s the case, why are the democrats claiming that’s all there is about HB2002 as if guaranteeing “access” to abortion is the sole and only purpose of HB2002. Well, probably they don’t want people to know what’s really in the bill.

What’s in HB2002

So here’s what’s really in the bill. HB2002 would…

  • Lower the age girls could get an abortion without parental consent to, effectively, zero. Girls can already do this as young as 10. HB2002 makes it age 8 but technically could be lower.
  • Allow children from other states to come here and get abortions. Yes, HB2002 is a great boon for human trafficking. If girls as young 12 or 10 or 8 are getting pregnant a crime has occurred. HB2002 hides the evidence from police and from parents.
  • Allow children to get life-altering puberty blockers. without parental knowledge or consent.
  • It would allow children to get permanent “gender affirming” surgeries. On their own. Without parental consent or knowledge.
  • Allow teachers to indoctrinate children about gay, lesbian, transgender, and all the rest. Without parental knowledge or consent.
  • Punish those who oppose any of the above far-left ideologies.
    • If health care providers refuse or attempt to refuse to provide mental health care that affirms a child’s confusion, they can lose their license.
    • Health care providers who refuse to perform permanent, irreversible surgeries on children, they can be fined and/or lose their license.
    • If you interfere with the operation of an abortion clinic, you can be fined or jailed. “Interfere” is open for interpretation. Does that include simple protesting outside a clinic? Or posting critical social media posts about abortion or clinics?

What you can do about HB2002

Speak up! Don’t be silent!

  • HB2002 has already been voted out of Oregon House but there’s no reason to not contact your representative and let them know what you think about this horrendous bill. Perhaps they didn’t know the details about it. (How many times have we seen politicians vote for bills they didn’t reads personally and merely did what their caucus told them do?) Let them know what you think by using the link below.
  • Contact your senator right now using the link below to let them know you oppose this bill. Ask them why they want to take away parental rights. Ask them why are they helping child traffickers. And ask them why do they think children should have adult rights.
    • Ask your democrat senator if they realize removing parental rights to raise their own children was exactly what the Nazis did. Are they trying to be Nazis? Seriously?
    • Tell your republican senator how much you appreciate their bravery and that you support their walkout.

How to do all that? Easy! Just go to this Oregon legislative map, enter your address, and there you go. The link will conveniently give you their contact info, including phone numbers and emails. Start writing, stop being silent. This only stops when enough people raise their voices.

When contacting your representative and senator, remember: be firm. But be polite.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Why we’re denying quorum in Oregon’s Senate (Washington Examiner, May 29, 2023)
  • Read the June 2023 ORP Legislative Update (PDF), which discusses HB2002 and other horrible bills worth walking out over
  • Dennis Linthicum Newsletter: Irreversible Harm (May 29, 2023)
  • From Senator Bonham: Protesting the Unconstitutional Actions of the Majority Party (May 9, 2023)
  • Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek hasn’t convinced Republicans to return to Salem as walkout continues (OPB, May 23, 2023)
    • “ Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, pledged his members would return on June 25 — the day the session is scheduled to adjourn under constitutional deadlines — in order to pass ‘lawful, substantially bipartisan budgets and bills’.”
  • Cutting Early Kicker Checks part of negotiations with Boycott Republican Senators (KATU, May 30, 2023)
  • Kicker theft SJR 26 would be blow to charities (Taxpayer Assoc of OR, June 1, 2023)
    • “…the May revenue forecast predicted the 2024 kicker rebate would grow to a record $5 point 5 billion dollars. But some [democrat] lawmakers want to ask voters to end the annual taxpayer payout.”
  • Boycotting Oregon senators believe loophole will allow them to win another term (OPB, May 30, 2023)
  • Paychecks, perks continue for absent senators amid GOP-led walkout (Oregon Capital Chronicle, May 30, 2023)
  • Federal Subpoenas Issued to State Agencies (Willamette Week, June 7, 2023)
America needs its Faith Warriors. Time to Activate the Church
13-21 It’s Time to Activate the Church | Christian Soldiers for the Win

13-21 It’s Time to Activate the Church | Christian Soldiers for the Win

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Show 13-21 Summary: This week, we speak with Pastor Richard Peil out of Bend, Oregon. Pastor Peil is trying to wake up Christians to what is happening in politics and to motivate churches and Christians to get involved and stop hiding from society. America not only has a moral vacuum problem, the Left is filling that vacuum with secular state morals. As in dictated by the state. Some, like Oregon’s HB2002, mandating your beliefs are not allowed if it interferes with political ideology. It’s time to activate the church. But why do some pastors keep their churches silent? Even advocating they stay out of politics. Is that really what the Bible teaches?

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Original Air Dates: May 27, 2023 | Guest: Pastor Richard Peil

This Week – Activate the Church

Throughout history, when society loses its moral compass, the Church has stepped into the fray. From early Christians displacing Rome’s debauchery to Colonial times when Christian revivals paved the way to America’s founding. Christians and the Church have led the way on morals and societal ethics. So where is the Church now when America is under siege? Why so silent? Are Christians, and pastors, really going to sit out this fight for America’s soul? As the political Left assaults our children with every kind of immorality? Really?

It’s time to activate the church. And that means more than just prayer.

Where is the Church When America Needs Her?

This week, we talk with Pastor Richard Peil who leads the Victory Baptist Church in Bend. He came to our attention when he and two dozen other pastors spoke out against Oregon’s horrid HB2002 bill on the steps of the capitol. HB2002 would codify what is already being done via administrative rules dating back to Kitzhaber’s “Health Care Transformation.”

Yes. While people are shocked that HB2002 will allow girls as young as 8 to get abortions without parental knowledge or consent, long-time listeners of I Spy Radio know that has been going on for years. Kitzhaber’s Oregon Health Authority changed insurance and required disclosure from FERPA to HIPPA. Under FERPA, parents had to be told everything that was done to their child. (Remember when you were in school and you couldn’t even get an aspirin without your parents being consulted? That’s why.) But under HIPPA, state agencies and schools treat kids like they’re adults. Parents not only don’t have to be consulted. They have no right to know.

What is new is HB2002 wants to not only codify that into actual law — not just and administrative rule — Oregon democrats in the legislature want to be able to fine anyone who doesn’t agree with their ideologies and “morals.” Do democrats really think cutting parents out from a parent-child relationship is the right thing to do? The moral thing to do?

Apparently so. Like we said. Now is the time to activate the church!

Romans 13

Pastor Piel got politically activated when Oregon’s authoritarians and wannabe dictators tipped their hand during covid. As a pastor, he saw first hand what the state wanted to do. And how they felt they had all the rights and churches had none. Despite the First Amendment. He watched as pastors at some churches willingly obeyed the government without question. And now, some of those churches have closed permanently. That’s why he’s working hard now with other pastors to activate the church and get them involved. Before it’s too late.

But that experience led him to dive deeper into the Bible. Especially on the proper roles between the church and government. Some Christians and even pastors believe the church should submit to the government. And they cite Romans 13 as the source for that argument. But what does “be subject to” really mean?

Marxism in the Church? Yes!

Pastor Peil also spent 10 years in the Navy, working for naval intelligence, back during the Cold War. His job was to intercept and monitor Soviet communications. And he got to see up close and first hand the threats communism and Marxism pose to America.  Little did he know that experience would prepare him for the ministry. Or the current fight.

Why? Because he’s seen the influence of Marxists infiltrating churches and seminaries to destroy — or at least disable — the church from within. Because if they can hamstring the church, and replace Godly morality with secular immorality, America won’t be able to stand. The Founders knew that the Church was necessary for society. The government didn’t, and shouldn’t, set the moral tones of society. They always saw that as the church’s role.

And that’s why we need to activate the church. America needs its faith warriors.

Attention Christians! America needs you to get involved in politics. Now more than ever.

Things Christians can Do — Right Now

As mentioned during the show, here are three things you can do right now:

  1. Sign the petition to stop Oregon Department of Forestry’s disastrous plan to abandon forests for 70 years. It takes 30 seconds to do. Go to OregonStrongerTogether.com and sign! Why? It will take state forests offline from timber harvests, removing 10s of millions of dollars every year from beneficiaries that depend on those timber harvests. Where will the state make up that money? More taxes, more fees. And don’ think the Leftist democrats aren’t eyeing ways to tax churches.
  2. Download and sign the petition to get the school choice initiatives on the 2024 ballot. Give parents the option to take their child out of woke, anti-Christian, anti-American schools. Woke teachers can’t indoctrinate kids who aren’t there. Head to EducationFreedomforOregon.com. Note that because these are ballot initiatives, digital signatures are not allowed, and the petition sheet must be printed and mailed back. Hundreds of thousands of signatures are needed. You can even be a signature gatherer! See website for details.
  3. Contact your state representative and senator and tell them NO on HB2002. Don’t know who they are or need their contact info? That’s easy. Just go to this Oregon map, enter your address, and there you go. Start writing, stop being silent.

BONUS “to-do”: donate to both of those organizations! They are both raising funds for an advertising campaign. $25 or $50 or more will help them buy an ad, which in turn will be seen or heard by 1,000s of people!

Don’t wait. Act right now.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Pastor Peil’s church is Victory Baptist in Bend, Oregon. Their website is VictoryforYou.church. (Live services are streamed if you don’t have a home church.)
  • Get involved! Don’t be silent! It’s easier than ever now to let your voice be heard on bad — and the occasionally good — legislation. Head to olis.oregonlegislature.gov, type the bill number into the search bar (upper right), and you can send in your testimony.
  • No, Romans 13 is not about obeying the governing authorities (Craig Greenfield, May 11, 2018)
    • Romans 13… [has been] used to make sure we are all being obedient citizens, which historically has led Christians into all KINDS of problems
  • Should Christians Always Submit to the Government? (Crossway.org, Apr 24, 2022)
    • “Governmental tyranny is a potential evil, but so is anarchy. “Subjection” means recognition of authority and compliance with it.
13-20 Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan = Goodbye Timber – Part 2

13-20 Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan = Goodbye Timber – Part 2

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Show 13-20 Summary: This week, we welcome back Jennifer Hamaker from ONRI to continue our discussion about Oregon’s latest plan to lose money. Because Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan will do both. Over 640K acres will be impacted. A loss of millions and millions to schools, emergency services, and so many other agencies that depend on those timber sales. And how are they going to replace those lost funds? Some schools have already said they will have to shut down. And of course, unmanaged forest lead to forest fires, so there goes all that potential revenue. Literally up in smoke.

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Original Air Dates: May 20th & 21st, 2023 | Guest: Jennifer Hamaker

This Week – Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan, Pt 2

We welcome back Jennifer Hamaker, the president of Oregon Natural Resources Industries (ONRI), to continue our discussion about Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan. Or HCP.

Last week, we learned the basics about Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan. Or should we say, Oregon’s Disastrous Habitat Conservation Plan. because it’s not going to do what they think it will. Probably because most environmentalists are angrily typing away about the forests. From downtown Portland’s coffee shops. What do they know about Oregon’s state forests? Well. They’re read a lot, one supposes. But have they worked there? Have they worked at mills? And we don’t mean the coffee kind.

It Grows Back, Stupid

Oregon’s School Trust Fund was set up when Oregon became a state. It would provide an ongoing source of funds for schools when the state sold timber harvested from state lands. But now, elected and non-elected democrats and environmentalists and activists want to end that. They’d love to wean the state off this fully renewable, fully sustainable perpetual income. Yes, democrats. The trees grow back. But why earn money when you can just tax them for it?

Jennifer walks us through what Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan will do to the forests. And the state’s School Trust Fund. There are over 200 public beneficiaries who get millions from this fund. Schools and police and fire and other services. All of that money is about to disappear. If this HCP goes through.

So, how do they plan on replacing those funds? Just where are they planning to get new funds from?

One guess: taxes.

Plan of Action to Stop ODF’s HCP

So how do the sane people of Oregon stop Oregon’s Habitat Conservation Plan? By speaking up. By letting the Oregon Department of Forestry know what you think of their plan.

And that’s easy! Head to www.OregonStrongerTogether.com and sign the petition. It literally takes 30 seconds to do. At the top of the page, you’ll see “HCP Petition” go there. Fill out the simple form with your name and address. That’s it. Done.

ONRI is looking for more people to head to Sisters, Oregon, on June 7th to be there, in person, at ODF’s public meeting about their HCP. Pack the room. For more details, head to ONRI.us. Please note that at this time, the ODF is keeping the exact time and meeting place a secret. That’s why you should head to ONRI’s webpage and sign up for alerts. Just scroll down the page and look for the big “subscribe” button.

Finally, and definitely not least, please donate to ONRI to help alert people to what is happening. ONRI is trying hard to get the word out but needs donations to buy ads on radio, tv, and digital spaces. Whether $25, $50, or more will help them buy an ad or two. Some websites looking for support say, “buy me a coffee.” Think of this as buying them an ad.

And what’s really cool is the ad you help them buy can be heard by 1,000s of people. So help them out! Head to ONRI’s website. The donate button is under the store tab. Or you can click here and jump to it.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Mentioned During the Show

What’s Coming

Not Mentioned but Related

  • Standing Up for Rural Constituents (Karen Budd-Falen, Feb 18, 2021)
    • This. “The Trump Administration’s position on State and local government approval prior to federal land acquisition … has now been eliminated by Biden [through an executive order]. That Order claims that allowing local governments to have a voice in land acquisition directly impacting their counties “undermined” the program.” Wow.
  • Will “Fly-Over Country” Have a Voice to Protect Private Property Rights under Endangered Species Act (Karen Budd-Falen, Apr 5, 2021)
    • “This agreement is likely the first step at trying to eliminate regulations that give State governments, local governments, and Indian Tribes a greater voice in designation of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act… These 2020 regulations require[d] the Fish and Wildlife Service to substantively consider ‘economic, national security and other relevant impacts’ of the designation of critical habitat on private property and federal lands.”

 

 

13-18 An Unforced Error Opens Oregon to Change | Shemia Fagan Scandal

13-18 An Unforced Error Opens Oregon to Change | Shemia Fagan Scandal

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Show 13-18 Summary: The Shemia Fagan scandal broke this week and could have some far-reaching impacts — even the effort to get school choice in Oregon. Remember, the secretary of state oversees elections. And that means ballot initiatives like school choice. We ask Donna Kreitzberg about school choice’s ground game, some of the obstacles they have to overcome, and some of the reaction they’re already getting from signature gatherers out in the field. And, perhaps the biggest challenge ahead: countering the misinformation the other side has already been and will be putting out there in the months ahead. And then, a big political scandal rocked Oregon this week. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan was forced to resign. But is there more to Shemia Fagan scandal than what we’ve seen in the mainstream media?

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Original Air Dates: May 6th & 7th, 2023 | Guests: Donna Kreitzberg & Marc Thielman

This Week – Shemia Fagan Scandal

For those who knew Shemia Fagan, the scandal that rocked Oregon politics this past week is probably no surprise.

In case you missed it, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan got caught in a highly inappropriate side hustle. She was accused of taking $10,000 per month from a company her office is supposed to be overseeing. And she even did an audit of them. She did recuse herself from the audit. Except she lied about when she recused herself, not doing so until after the audit was completed. Oh, and did we mention she was also getting $30,000 per contract she secured for them?

That’s quite a bit of money for someone only making $77,000 per year. More than her entire salary. What could possibly be wrong with that? Well, pretty much everything from an ethics standpoint. You don’t take money from a company you’re supposed to be overseeing. Because that looks like a bribe. And you should not lie about your interactions with them. Because for someone who has (had) her law license, she definitely should have known better.

And isn’t that weird too. She suddenly re-applied for her law license back in February, a month before news of this broke into the public. Did she know the proverbial writing was on the wall then? Again, she should have known better—and, one assumes, did know—the moment she took the money.

Democrats and their Long Knives

democrats fight fascism by being fascistsA one-time rising star in the democrat party, democrats suddenly turned on Fagan. After initially denying any wrongdoing, democrats pushed Fagan to resign. Which she reluctantly did, Because even on the way out the door she still didn’t see anything wrong with what she did.

What was going on? And is there more to this story? And what now? As Secretary of State, Fagan had her fingers in a lot of pots. Including the Tim Sippel case, whom Washington County had sued to block the release of a voter database. Fagan swooped in out of the blue to join the lawsuit to block the release. Because nothing screams open, honest, and trustworthy like blocking the public from seeing what’s inside a public database. No. Nothing to see there. Peasants.

We talk with Marc Thielman, the former superintendent for the Alsea School District and candidate for Oregon governor, about the Shemia Fagan scandal. Was Governor Kotek using the scandal to eliminate a political rival? Don’t forget, the news about the Shemia Fagan scandal just happened to break in the Willamette Week. A paper Oregon’s attorney general’s husband just happens to own.

Gee. Weird coincidences.

We also talk with Marc about the school choice ballot initiatives, of which he is the chief petitioner.

Get involved! Head to EducationFreedomforOregon.com to download petition signature sheets and help them with a donation. Real school choice will bring desperately needed generational change to Oregon by breaking state-sponsored indoctrination in Oregon’s education system.

School Choice: Boots on the Ground

Before we talk with Marc, we talk with Donna Kreitzberg, who is spearheading the effort to get real school choice on the November 2024 ballot.

To get school choice in Oregon, it will be an uphill battle. Not least of which will be the financial hurdles. They will need at least $15 million to combat the misinformation, lies, and distortions the education lobby will put out there to desperately keep the status quo. Meaning they don’t want parents to decide where to send their children. Why is that, exactly? Shouldn’t everyone want parents to make the best choices for their children? Including the best education that best suites their children’s needs?

Donna talks to us about the operational and practical side of the fight. Like, what are her signature gatherers hearing from people about school choice? Yes, this will be a battle. Like, at a recent presentation in Portland, some liberal moms were initially opposed to the effort. But after the meeting, they came up and asked Donna how they could help. Tune in to find out what brought them around.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

The Shemia Fagan Scandal

 

Oregon democrats go full Nazi
13-17 What are Oregon Democrats Up to Now? | Legislative Lowlights

13-17 What are Oregon Democrats Up to Now? | Legislative Lowlights

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Show 13-17 Summary: Oregon democrats continue to find new ways to emulate Nazis. You, your children, and certainly your money belong to the state. Democracy dies when democrats are in charge. It’s our monthly legislative update with Sen. Dennis Linthicum — hitting all the highlights and lowlights. Okay. There really aren’t any highlights. And the democrats STILL want to rob Oregon families of an average $5,200 kicker refund because they’ve discovered new ways to spend.

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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, six different times, on seven different stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to the I Spy Radio Show. Podcast available Mondays after the show airs on out network of stations.

Original Air Dates: April 29, 2023 | Guest: Sen. Dennis Linthicum

This Week – Oregon Democrats: Killing Democracy

Have you noticed that when democrats get in charge of something, the first thing they do is want to kill democracy?

But it didn’t always used to be this way. Democrats used to be about individual rights, civil rights, free speech, and so much more. Even Robert F. Kennedy recently pointed this out. Modern-day democrats have destroyed what the party used to be for.

Now, put them in charge, and their inner Nazi suddenly comes out. Democracy is about all voices. But democrats want to eliminate opposition. (Like the FBI going after Trump before, during, and after his presidency.) And not just politicians. Even every day citizens who don’t fall in line. (Like all those parents targeted by the FBI for daring to stand up to woke.)

The democrats hate being called Nazis. That’s their term for everyone else. But they hate it because it’s so blazingly true. That’s what they hate.

Monthly Legislative Update with Sen. Dennis Linthicum

This week, we talk with Senator Dennis Linthicum about the latest from the legislature. It’s not pretty. Not least of which because Oregon democrats, like Senator Dembrow, are steamed that things like democracy are happening. He’s ticked that republicans are slowing down the 1000s of bills democrats want to ram through. Dembrow hates that republicans have any say at all, apparently.

We talk parents rights. (Oregon democrats want to take them away.) And taxes—democrats can’t get enough of them. The business climate in Oregon. (Oregon democrats are trying to drive businesses out, apparently.) And we talk about that kicker refund. (Democrats want to spend it.)

There’s a business poll that came out recently and we get Sen. Linthicum’s take on it. It is not pretty. The thing is, Oregon democrats seem to not understand even basic economics. But why do you need economics if the government can just take everything, control the means of production, ensure only party loyalists are in business, and then tell people what they can and can’t buy.

You know. Just like the Nazis.

Oregon Democrats: Stealing your Kicker Refund

Oh, and that kicker? It’s not chump change. It kicks in whenever the state rakes in more than 2% above what they had budgeted. This year, it was 4% more. And the way it works is that it’s not based on what you paid. Instead, the giant pie (some $2 billion this year) is divided evenly among Oregon taxpayers. And this year, that’s about $5,200 per family.

But Oregon democrats have come up with new things they just have to buy. With your money. So watch for them to delay handing it back right up until the budget needs to pass. By law, the budget must be balanced. (Thank God Oregon democrats can’t just print money!) And legislators must balance it before the legislature can adjourn. So watch for Oregon democrats to try to strong arm republicans to spend all or some of the kicker to make up the difference or they can’t adjourn and go home.

Don’t miss this week’s show. Lots to discuss. Including Oregon democrats gleefully opening the door to Oregon becoming a “deathstination.” Happily willing to provide abortions and euthanasia for people from other states where killing isn’t allowed.

Get involved! Don’t be silent! It’s easier than ever now to let your voice be heard on bad — and the occasionally good — legislation. Head to olis.oregonlegislature.gov, type the bill number into the search bar (upper right), and you can send in your testimony.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—catch the podcast version. I Spy Radio is now available on your favorite platform, or you can grab it right here. See the full list of podcast options.

Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Critics shred Biden for claiming ‘our nation’s children are all our children’: ‘Absolutely wrong’: Biden’s claim echoed Hillary Clinton’s ‘It Takes a Village’ (Fox News, Apr 24, 2023)
  • But what about Oregon? Parental Rights Bills Sweeping the United States (The Epoch Times, Apr 22, 2023)
  • Former Trump appointee: ‘Bureaucratic administrative state must be brought under control’ (Legal Newsline, Apr 5, 2023)
  • Actions to Protect Our Kids: Combating the Woke in our schools and institutions (Cody Benson, March, 2023)
  • How does Oregon’s ‘kicker’ tax rebate work? (KGW, Apr 7, 2023)
  • The Death of a Proposed Beer and Wine Tax Highlights Vast Differences in Oregon’s Taxes on Intoxicants (Willamette Week, Mar 29, 2023)
  • But, wait! It’s not dead yet! “Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission considers doubling tax on hard alcohol” (Oregon Capital Chronicle, Apr 17, 2023)
  • Legislature logjam as guns, abortion, rent control bills percolating (Bulletin, Apr 24, 2023)
  • Amid uncertainty in leadership, some PCC faculty are worried the nursing program could close (OPB, Apr 23, 2023)
  • HB 2002B – seeks to codify government-sanctioned secrecy between parent and child by providing abortions and “gender affirming” interference for children. Without a parent’s knowledge. Compliments of the Oregon democrats. (Note: Senators like Kim Thatcher, writing in her newsletter, aren’t quite correct on this. That level of secrecy already exists in Oregon statutes thanks to HB3650, which ushered in the grand, “Oregon Healthcare Transformation.” Which she and a bunch of other republicans voted for.)

That Oregon Business Climate Survey

  • Survey: Small Businesses Feel Overtaxed and Overwhelmed (OBI & Oregon Chamber of Commerce, Mar 2023). Some of the lowlights:
    • 41% of respondents say they’re considering closing, selling or moving their businesses because of taxes, Oregon’s regulatory environment or a combination of the two.
    • Only 18% of respondents believe that state lawmakers care about the success of their businesses.
    • Only 7% (wow!!) of respondents believe the state’s business climate will improve in the coming year.

Not discussed but you might find interesting…

13-16 Advancing Freedom | Taking Sides in the War on the American Republic

13-16 Advancing Freedom | Taking Sides in the War on the American Republic

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Show 13-16 Summary: This week, it’s all about advancing freedom. We have two guests. One is Kevin Stark from Hillsdale College, talking about his book, War on the American Republic, and how the political Left has managed to seize power while convincing the Right to give up power. Plus, an inside look at prosecutors and DAs and attorneys general with Indiana’s former AG, Curtis Hill. But what brakes are there for rogue prosecutors like the Manhattan DA who indicted President Trump? If any. And a weird case of Nazism meets adoption. Right here in Oregon.

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Original Air Dates: Date, 2023 | Guests: Dr. Kevin Stark & Curtis Hill

This Week – It’s a War on the American Republic

War on the American Republic - how liberalism became despotismIt’s not just a title for Dr. Kevin Stark’s new book, War on the American Republic: How Liberalism Became Despotism. There really is a war on the American Republic. As we say so often here on I Spy Radio, the fight for freedom is an everyday fight.

Dr. Kevin Stark from Hillsdale College joins us this week to discuss the origins of this fight. And how the Left has gone from a political movement that embraced essential freedoms like individual rights and freedom of speech to one where they will lock you up if you speak up.

Don’t miss: You can take a free online course about the American Left, based on Dr. Stark’s book, from Hillsdale College

Weaponization of the Justice System

Speaking of war, there’s a war within our justice system. It’s been weaponized. We welcome Curtis Hill, the former attorney general for the state of Indiana. While there, he prioritized fighting corruption. If only rooting out corruption within the justice system was a priority of the justice system.

We ask about the structure and controls within the justice system. How it operates. What kinds of controls there are. Who oversees whom, and so forth. And what kind of brakes are there in the system to deal with prosecutors like Alvin Bragg? Who make political enemies their highest priority rather than actual criminals on the streets.

Are republicans and democrats treated differently? And is the way to fix the system is for republicans to treat democrats the way they treat republicans?

And we ask his opinion on a strange case in Oregon of a woman being denied an adoption because she was Christian. Yes. It’s Nazism in Far Left Oregon.

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Guest 1: Kevin Stark, Segments 1–3

Guest 2: Curtis Hill, Segments 4–6

 

 

13-13 Fixing What Ails Oregon | Education, School Choice & Election Integrity

13-13 Fixing What Ails Oregon | Education, School Choice & Election Integrity

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Show 13-13 Summary: It’s about education, school choice, and voter integrity and how all of that is being undermined — but what we can do to fix it. Our guest is Marc Thielman, who has his hands in all of those pots and doing the stirring. So much of what ails Oregon right now can be fixed by better schools that teach real civics and history. To get there, the path is Real School Choice. And to get there, we need election integrity. What it really boils down to is we need education freedom in Oregon.

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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, six different times, on seven different stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to the I Spy Radio Show. Podcast available Mondays after the show airs on out network of stations.

Original Air Dates: April 1st & 2nd, 2023 | Guest: Marc Thielman

This Week – The Wrong Kind of Power

Oregon does not have an independent, superintendent of state schools. Thanks to John Kitzhaber and easily duped Oregon voters, that elected position was removed and absorbed under the dictator’s office. Oops. The governor’s office.

But that’s what really happened, isn’t it? More and more power consolidated under wannabe kings and queens. What is it with the Left and democrats — who claim they want democracy — grab all the power under a single person’s rule.

But can you believe that even with all that power in one person’s hands, now they want even more power. And it truly is just about control.

What’s Needed: Education Freedom in Oregon

So much of what ails Oregon right now can be fixed by better schools that teach real civics and history. (Two of the things socialists hate most.) To get there, the path is Real School Choice, which would allow parents to use the money already assigned to their child and send them to a school that works best for their child. And to get there, we need election integrity.

Join the fight for education freedom in Oregon! Get Real School Choice on the 2024 ballot. Head to Education Freedom for Oregon to download petition signatures and donate — even just $10, $25, or $50 is a big help!

This week we talk to Marc Thielman who is actively involved with all three of those issues. If you remember, Marc is the former superintendent of the Alsea School District. Which, we might add, was the one and only school district standing up to the governor’s and state’s overreach during covid. Marc defied the state and gave teachers and students options. (How dare he!) He did not enforce mask mandates (what?!). And kept kids in school (the outrage!). Oh. And they had a 500% enrollment increase. And not one covid case traced back to the school.

Marc Thielman on Education, School Choice, and Election Integrity

Perhaps its because Marc Thielman and the Alsea school board defied the state — successfully — that Tina Kotek think she needs even more power over schools. This, a recommendation from Melissa Goff. Who, if you didn’t know, was the superintendent of the Greater Albany Schools District. “Former” because she was such a little tyrant and bully that she was run out of her position. But now she is Kotek’s “education adviser.”

That’s like Stalin advising Chairman Mao.

Tune in to hear Marc talk about this power grab, the school shooting at The Covenant School, the damage transgenderism is doing to people, and, of course, election integrity. We saw blatant cheating in Arizona in 2022. Just in your face cheating. But the Arizona supreme court upheld one of Kari Lake’s complaints and sent back to lower court for review.

How much cheating has to happen before the courts take notice and uphold the law? Could this finally be the foot in the door?

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Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—catch the podcast version. I Spy Radio is now available on your favorite platform, or you can grab it right here. See the full list of podcast options.

Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info