Category: Taxes

13-09 Insane Government Spending – 2023 Essential Policy Solutions

13-09 Insane Government Spending – 2023 Essential Policy Solutions

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Show 13-09 Summary: This week, it’s all about insanity. Meaning, our governments’ insane spending that shows no signs of letting up. And that there’s just always more money on the national credit card. So when the inmates are running the asylum, what can we do about government spending? We talk with Jonathan Williams of the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC has just released its 2023 Essential Policy Solutions, which should be required reading for every legislator out there. Listen in for policies, economic and otherwise, that make sense in an insane world.

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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: March 4th & 5th, 2023 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week – Government Spending. It’s Insane.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (or ALEC), is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. If you don’t know, they work with state legislatures — the 50 test tubes of democracy — to pass legislation that upholds principles of limited government, free markets and federalism You don’t last 50 years if you’re not having successes. And ALEC has had tremendous success stories. Including encouraging states to lower taxes. Even adopting a flat tax.

Don’t miss it! Be sure to RSVP for The Capital City Republican Women’s Luncheon, March 9th, 2023, starting at 11:30am (Mark will start his presentation at noon). To RSVP, send an email to CCRWSalem@Reagan.com. Lunch is $14. Coffee is $2. No cost to just come listen. Location will be sent to you after you RSVP.

This week, we talk with Jonathan Williams, ALEC’s Executive VP of Policy and their chief economist, about the insane government spending. After blowing through $1.9 trillion in the “American Rescue Plan” and another $2 trillion with Build Back Better, and still trillions more — in just 2 years — we’re facing a looming showdown over the federal debt ceiling. Addicted to government spending, Biden and the democrats don’t want any spending cuts. Of course not.

Maybe it’s because they just spent $360 billion on “global warming” and climate change in the most recent $1 trillion “inflation reduction act.” None of that money is going to conservatives or conservative organizations. So of course the democrats don’t want any cuts to government spending. That would be cutting off cash to their political cronies.

Government Spending: 2023 Essential Policy Solutions

Fortunately, to tackle this insane government spending ALEC has just released its 2023 Essential Policy Solutions. This essential guide is definitely essential for every state legislator.

Get your free copy! Download the PDF version of the 2023 Essential Policy Solutions. And then email it to all your legislators!

Jonathan Williams walks us through some of the more exciting solutions. Not just for government spending but also price transparency for hospitals and health care but also some model legislation for school choice.

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

  • Essential Policy Solutions for 2023 – (American Legislative Exchange Council, March, 2023). Free PDF! Download it and email it to your legislators!
  • RSVP for The Capital City Republican Women’s Luncheon, March 9th, 2023, starting at 11:30am (Mark will start his presentation at noon). To RSVP, send an email to CCRWSalem@Reagan.com. Lunch is $14. Coffee is $2. No cost to just come listen. Location will be sent to you after you RSVP.
  • US stocks enter ‘death zone’  (Daily Mail, Feb 2023)
    • Morgan Stanley issues dire warning to investors who ‘followed prices to dizzying heights’ amid fears S&P 500 could plummet 26% within months.
  • American Rescue Plan (Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package (Investopedia, updated Sept 21, 2022)

Additional Related Research, Not Specifically Mentioned

13-08 The Mad, Mad Spending – Real School Choice Needed in Oregon

13-08 The Mad, Mad Spending – Real School Choice Needed in Oregon

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Show 13-08 Summary: Two guests this week and both talking about government spending. Donna Kreitzberg talks about redirecting portions of education spending to parents so they can make their own best school choice for their children. Then Senator Dennis Linthicum who says there is no end in sight for the amount of spending Oregon is looking to do in this legislative session. And be sure to stay through the closing where you’ll hear what he told us off air about the real reasons why democrats want to spend the kicker. Un. Believable.

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Original Air Dates: February 25th & 26th, 2023 | Guests: Donna Kreitzberg & Dennis Linthicum

This Week – Oregon‘s Insane Spending

It’s not just the amount of spending. It’s what they are spending it on. And it’s insane. Especially given that most economists and major financial institutions are predicting a recession this year. Not to mention continuing inflation and mounting job losses. So why is Oregon inflating its budgets like there are no limits of money?

And for goodness sake. Don’t miss the final closing when we reveal the real reasons democrats don’t want Oregonians to get their kicker refund.

Getting Real School Choice in Oregon

Since it’s not looking positive for school choice legislation in Oregon, Oregonians can still use ballot measures to do what the Oregon education lobby doesn’t want. Give parents the choice to pick the right school for their child.

Why does the education lobby want to keep kids in failing schools? Probably because they know government loves to throw even more money at problems. A failing school? Clearly, what they need is even more money. But, given that our schools already soak up a whopping 40% of our entire state budget, that clearly isn’t working. Especially since Oregon routinely ranks need the bottom but spends more than the national average per student.

So what’s the answer?

As usual, it’s less government. And more free market.

We talk with Donna Kreitzberg who is leading the effort to get school choice in Oregon. Not a pat-on-the-head choice. A real school choice. Where parents decide how to spend the money assigned to their child and will have the option to send their child to the school that best fits their educational needs.

But what about that money? Can parents just buy anything with it? And, if the state gives them the money, doesn’t that mean the state gets to say how it’s spent — not to mention all the woke regulations they’re pushing now in schools?

Nope.

Tune in to find out why.

Find out how you can help to get real school choice in Oregon. Head to Education Freedom for Oregon. Download and sign petitions. Volunteer. And please donate to help make this happen!

The Spending. Oregon’s Endless Spending.

And next we welcome Senator Dennis Linthicum back to discuss what’s happening in Oregon’s legislature. We’ll be having him on on a monthly basis to give us his inside the capitol view and the truth. Like the real reason why the democrats don’t want you to have your kicker refund.

When last we spoke, the 2023 legislative session had just started. And he wasn’t sure if the democrats, who had lost some of their stranglehold on power, would react. Or how they’d treat their republican colleagues.

So this week, we wanted to know more. And to hear about the budget. Oh yes. And what about that kicker refund. You know. The one that, by law, the state is supposed to return to the taxpayers. Why? Because it means they over collected taxes. They charged too much. So they are — again, by law — supposed to return that to the people they overcharged. And this year, that kicker would be, on average, $5,200 per working family. So why are the democrats so eager to spend it before taxpayers can get their grubby hands on what the democrats see as the democrats’ money?

Yeah. Sorry. You’ll have to tune in to hear why. Stay through to the very end.

Previous Parental Rights and School Choice Shows

Did you miss our previous shows on parents rights in education?

  1. Show 13-03: overview of parents rights in education with Suzanne Gallagher, CEO of Parents Rights in Education
  2. Show 13-04: the legal side of parents rights, especially if push comes to lawsuit with Ernie Trakas, senior litigation counsel for the Child & Parental Rights Campaign
  3. Show 13-05: the way out; real school choice with Ed Ludlow of the national school choice organization, EdChoice
  4. Show 13-06: you’ve made the choice, now how to choose a new school with Marc Thielman, former Alsea school superintendent
  5. And Show 13-08 (today’s show): getting school choice in Oregon with Donna Kreitzberg, head of Oregon’s school choice 2024 ballot initiative

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Links mentioned during the show

  • Education Freedom for Oregon – This is Donna’s real school choice website. You can:
    • download and sign petitions (single-signature petition sheets for yourself or 10-line ones to gather signatures from your friends, families, fellow parents at school, or neighbors)
    • Volunteer
    • And please donate to help get school choice on the ballot in Oregon!
  • Freedom Watch Alert: Second dangerous School Choice constitutional amendment petition (OCEAN Network, July 15, 2022)
  • Kotek proposes $13.5 billion for education (Oregon Capital Insider, Feb 6, 2023)
    • “Education accounts for $13.5 billion, more than 40% of her proposed $32.1 billion in spending of the state’s general and lottery funds.”
    • “But most of the money – an historic $9.9 billion – is devoted to the State School Fund, which pays for educating Oregon’s 550,000 K-12 students and for district operating expenses, transportation costs and other needs.”
    • The $9.9 billion marks an overall $600 million increase in K-12 spending for the biennium and would average out to about $9,682 per student in 2023-24 and roughly $10,000 per student in 2024-25, according to preliminary estimates from the Oregon Department of Education. The state is paying $9,468 per student in the current 2022-23 school year.
    • BUT: “Accounting for all education funding, Oregon spends about $12,855 per K-12 student, according to 2020 census data. The national average that year was $13,187, with some states spending more than $20,000.”

Additional School Choice Info and Related

 

13-06 Killing Title IX Protections in the Name of Woke | Plus Part 4: Choosing New Schools

13-06 Killing Title IX Protections in the Name of Woke | Plus Part 4: Choosing New Schools

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Show 13-06 Summary: This week on I Spy we continue our mini-series on parents rights in education. We are looking at what the Biden administration’s abandonment of Title IX means (it used to mean protection and equal access for girls and women) and what real school choice looks like — when parents make the choice to find a better school. What are the options and how to decide? How to even know if it’s the school or the child? And what about funding — should taxpayer dollars really go to private schools? And is it protected from frivolous parents? Are schools accountable top meet competency and proficiency standards? Maybe if the public schools had such standards, parents wouldn’t be looking elsewhere…

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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: February 11th & 12th, 2023 | Guests: Kimberly Hermann & Marc Thielman

This Week – So Much for Equality

If there’s one thing elected democrats say, it’s that they want equality. But if there’s one thing they do it’s remove equality. Which is why they are all for racial discrimination in the name of equality. Like affirmative action. Where, in their “logic” it makes sense to discriminate against Whites in favor of other races. Which is a bit like saying a little slavery is okay, as long as it’s done to the right kind of people.

Hint to democrats: discrimination is discrimination.

But maybe this mindset explains why the Biden administration thinks removing protections for girls and women in education is a good thing.

The Biden Administration: Killing Title IX

Title IX was intended to give girls and women an equal footing in education. Prior to Title IX, schools could discriminate against women and, perhaps most famously, not fund women’s sports. But now, the Biden administration’s new “guidance” would remove such protections. How? By doing away with the concept of women and girls. And making anyone who identifies as a woman a woman in their view.

Basically, if there are no women as a distinct entity, there are no women to protect.

To try to make sense of the nonsense, we welcome Kimberly Hermann. She is the chief legal counsel for Southeastern Legal Foundation and they have file da brief in support of states pushing back against the Biden administration’s guidance.

Visit SLFLiberty.org to find out more about the great work Southeastern Legal Foundation is doing to defend your constitutional rights. You can even submit a case they might be interested in.

Kimberly walks us through what Title IX is, what it was intended to do, and why Title IX is so important to defend. You’ll also hear how the courts, including appellate courts, are, in fact, defending the notion that there are two sexes. Which is extremely encouraging.

But can you believe this? Has society gone so far down the woke toilet that we will end up needing the Supreme Court to tell the rest of society what a woman is?

Yikes.

Parents’ Rights Part 4: Choosing a New School

This week, we also continue our mini-series on parents rights in education. Last week, we discussed the Real School Choice movement. So far, five states have already adopted real school choice. (This means parents can choose whichever school they want to send their kids and the education dollars attached to that child.) And there are nearly a dozen more close to adopting real school choice and over two dozen in total that have at least some form of legislation on the table.

This is not only a win for parents, it’s a win for education itself. And it’s thanks to exercising free market principles.

Think about it. Parents (consumers) can choose to spend the education dollars how they want and where they want. Funding students not systems, means that the school systems must become competitive to attract consumers (parents). Better up your game or you lose out.

That is what real school choice is all about. Give parents the power, not bureaucrats.

Find out more about Oregon’s real school choice battle. If parents can’t get it in the legislature, they are prepared to go with a ballot initiative

But if you’re a parent and  you exercise your school choice, how do you choose a school? How do you know it’s the school and not your child? What are the signs you should be looking for? And with the dozen-plus types of other schools out there, how do you find the right one for your child.

We talk with Marc Thielman, the former superintendent at the Alsea School district, to answer those questions and more.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

More Info on Title IX

  • Title IX: 50 years later (American Psychological Association, June 28, 2022)
    • “Changes to Title IX regulations dispensed by the U.S. Department of Education in 2020 removed the mandatory reporting requirement. These Trump-era changes also narrowed the definition of sexual harassment, excluded off-campus assaults from the law’s protections, and made a series of other changes that left some Title IX offices scrambling to update their institution’s procedures”
  • Title IX’s Positive Impact on Education Life BEFORE Title IX (Vector Solutions, No Date)
  • 10 Facts Everyone Should Know About Title IX (National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Aug 23, 2017)

More Info on Choosing a School

 

Real School Choice - the Way out for Parents
13-05 The Way Out: Real School Choice | Parents Rights Part 3

13-05 The Way Out: Real School Choice | Parents Rights Part 3

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Show 13-05 Summary: Part 3 of our mini-series on parental rights. Week 1 was a general overview or parental rights and a look at what parents and kids are facing. Last week was a look at the legal side of things, especially if push comes to lawsuit. This week, it’s a look at the way out: real school choice. Where the dollars pegged to a child, follows them and parents can use those public funds to spend on whichever school best suits their child. Competition. It’s a wonderful thing!

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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: February 4th & 5th, 2023 | Guest: Robert Enlow

This Week – Real School Choice

The answer to most problems with Big Government is simple: take money away from big government and apply free-market principles.

Don’t miss the other two parts our series on parents’ rights: Part 1 (overview of parents rights) and Part 2 (legal aspects and, if necessary, lawsuits)

And when it comes to bad education systems, this means real school choice. Where bad schools in bad education systems either improve to good schools. Or they lose the money when they lose a child whose parents take their child elsewhere.

In the past, this option was only available to the rich. Who were still paying school taxes and paying to put their child in a better school.

But right now, thanks to parents staying home due to covid lockdowns—who got to see just how bad things really were thanks to virtual classrooms—there is a movement sweeping the nation. And it’s real school choice.

Real School Choice Defined

Real school choice. What is it? It’s when parents can decide how and where to spend the dollars “pegged” to their child on a school of their choice.

Real school choice happens like this: Education systems get a pot of money every year. Think of that as the “education bank.” These monies are drawn from different sources. Broadly speaking, federal, state, and local taxes all pay into the bank. States, the bank’s administrators, determine how many students there are and determine a per-student amount. A percentage of that per-student spending is pegged to the student as the parents decide where to spend it. Usually, this takes the form of an education savings account, commonly referred to as an”ESA.”

How much of that percentage, where, and how the funds can be spent vary from state to state.

And, unlike what this Kansas State Board of Education member thinks, parents can not use the funds to buy latte machines. (Although it makes one wonder how many schools have used their funds to put latte machines in teachers’ lounges…)

For more information on what school choice is, see this definition from one of the nation’s leading school choice organizations, EdChoice.

Our Guest: Robert Enlow of EdChoice

Speaking of which, this week we welcome Robert Enlow, the President and CEO of EdChoice, to talk to us about this nationwide movement. As of this writing, five states (with three in just the last two weeks) have adopted real school choice. And at least 28 more — including Oregon! — have introduced legislation for some form of school choice.

This didn’t happen over night.

Be sure to visit EdChoice.org. They have research, polls, tools, trainings and more to make universal school choice happen in your state!

No surprise, Milton Friedman, who advised President Reagan to get America’s economy back on track (which mainly boiled down to getting government out of the way), came up with the idea. Now, some 50 years after he came up with the idea of a school voucher system, we’re seeing it take hold.

Real School Choice in Oregon

Oregon has been at the bottom of education for decades. Oregon even removed competency requirements for graduation under former governor Kate Brown. So, not surprisingly, even here in Oregon, parents are fed up. We wanted to talk to experts who have actually made this happen in other states, who’ve been part of successful campaigns to get school choice. So we turned to EdChoice to talk about how these states made it happen. How did they win? And we talked about the arguments for and against school choice so you’ll know what to face.

As Robert Enlow said — echoing the mission of I Spy Radio — if want to be a successful advocate, you need to be an informed one.

If you want real school choice in Oregon, or in your state, don’t miss this show!

Want more information and insight on school choice here in Oregon? Check out these past I Spy Radio shows.

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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

  • Our guest’s organization is EdChoice. They are the nation’s leading organization for and advocate of school choice. They have research, tools, polls, even training if you want to help bring school choice to your state! Find them at EdChoice.org
  • Arizona leads on school choice. Should Utah follow suit? (Deseret News, Jan 16, 2023)
  • Achieving the potential of school choice (The Gazette, Colorado, Jan 17, 2023)
  • “Public education funding without boundaries: How to get K-12 dollars to follow open enrollment students” (Reason Foundation, Jan 24, 2023)
    • How to ensure state and local education funds flow seamlessly across district boundaries.
    • States are increasingly enacting open enrollment policies that give students options across school district boundaries. But this is only half the equation. Policymakers must also ensure that education dollars follow the child to the school of their choice, a concept referred to as funding portability.
    • Download the full policy brief: Public Education Funding Without Boundaries (PDF)
  • Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds signs historic school choice bill: ‘We will fund students not systems’ (Fox News, Jan 24, 2023)
  • ‘Fund Students, Not Systems’ with Universal School Choice” (Townhall.com, Jan 23, 2023).
  • Legislators in 28 states have introduced bills to fund students instead of systems this year. (Corey DeAngelis, Twitter, Feb 1, 2023)
  • 25 million eCommerce companies in the world – Myth or Fact? Dissecting the $4.9 Trillion industry with 2022 data. (Pipecandy.com, March 2022)

Oregon Centric

  • Kotek proposes spending $765M (Register Guard, Feb 1, 2023) Increases school budget
  • Portland School District announces hiring freeze due to dwindling enrollment (Pamplin Media Feb 1, 2023)
    • Portland  lost 3,000 students from 2020 to 2022. The district said its “dramatic, unprecedented enrollment decline” isn’t over. It expects to lose about 500 more students next year. But despite fewer students, “Superintendent Guerrero, along with leaders from other Oregon districts, are calling on state leaders to pour more money into public school funding. ”
  • See our previous shows on this topic, including the referendum movement for 2024 if the legislature ignores Oregon parents. These show pages have additional links and info.
  • Parents Rights in Education (Oregon and other state chapters)
The Biden Economy Rewarding America's Enemies
12-50 The Big Spend – Economics Don’t Matter in the Biden Economy

12-50 The Big Spend – Economics Don’t Matter in the Biden Economy

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Show Summary: This week, with Christmas and all the spending in the air, we thought we’d take one last look at the economy for the year. And the Biden economy looks like Christmas in another way: It’s the government playing Santa with your money. Or, as we like to call it, the Big Spend. We look at the Biden admin’s missteps on the economy. How bad are they? And will things get better before they get worse? And how soon is worse? Are there any positives out there and how much staying power do they have? Plus, a big focus on the massive debt, which is coming due for another massive expansion. But, it turns out, we’re in a lot more debt than advertised…

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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: December 10th & 11th, 2022 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week – The Biden Economy

We get criticized for being critical of the Biden administration’s economic policies. Well, we’re not the only ones. Major financial institutions are projecting a huge downturn next year. And not just here but all across the world—in part because things look so bad here.

This week, we welcome back Jonathan Williams to discuss the Biden economy. We review the missteps by the administration, which, unfortunately, started on day one. And haven’t been corrected yet. Like their attack on the energy industry and especially oil. In fact, they’ve done everything they can to try to avoid taking responsibility. How? By running to Saudi Arabia and even Venezuela. Anything to avoid re-opening and encouraging energy and oil production right here in America.

And why is it that in the Biden economy, we keep rewarding America’s enemies?

Check out Oregon’s Debt Clock (brought to you by the National Debt Clock). Did you know (as of this writing, Dec 10, 2022) that Oregon has $48.463 billion dollars of debt?

ALEC and ACCE

The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, works with state legislators and policy makers in the 50 test tubes of democracy. ALEC focuses on sound fiscal and economic policies to improve state revenues and the states’ economic performance and outlook.

But there is also ALEC for the local level: the American City County Exchange or ACCE (pronounced “Ace”). It’s not just state legislators who deal with budgets and fiscal policies. Counties and cities do too. And county commissioners, mayors and city councilors are all pressured by left-leaning organizations (well-funded ones, we might add) to spend, spend, spend. Especially, as it happens, on far-left ideologies and allies. Help your local officials fight back. Encourage them to join ACCE to get access to policies and more to make the right decisions.

In the Biden economy? They’re going to need all the help they can get.

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

  • Jonathan Williams is the Chief Economist and Executive Vice President of Policy at the American Legislative Exchange Council. Find out more by heading to ALEC.org.
    • Be sure to check out some of Jonathan’s articles, below
    • On Twitter? You can follow Jonathan @TaxEconomist
  • Check out ALEC’s Model Policies. These policies are designed to push back against woke Leftism, which are more about politics than economics. Two we especially like:
  • Encourage your local officials to join the American City County Exchange — ALEC for the local level!
  • “Colorado Offers Gold Standard for Fiscal Restraint: ALEC in National Review” (National Review, Nov 3, 2022)
    • TABOR [Taxpayer Bill of Rights] represents a fiscal-policy achievement Coloradans should be proud of and defend.
  • Jonathan Article #2 – The States Move Forward with the Flat Tax (National Review, July 22, 2022)
    • The flat-tax revolution will continue to gather speed as more states begin to realize the competitive benefits earned by a simpler and fairer tax code.
    • The prudent policy choice for states is to enhance competitiveness, then examine spending priorities and create policies to prepare for the proverbial rainy days, rather than relying on the federal government to save the day during revenue shortfalls.
  • Jonathan on American Radio Journal (Dec 3, 2022)
    • Congress is looking at another debt-ceiling bailout; this after a 2.5 trillion increase just a year ago
  • Oregon’s Debt Clock – $48.5 billion ($11K per person; Debt to GDP ratio is 17.6%

Mentioned During the Show

Additional Research & Related to the Biden Economy

 

12-43 Those “Down Ballot Races” Made Easy — With Superior Candidates

12-43 Those “Down Ballot Races” Made Easy — With Superior Candidates

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Show Summary: ALL races matter. No, not those races. All political races matter. This week we talk about two of the “down ballot” races: the commissioner for BOLI (I know—what the heck is that, right?) and Oregon’s new 6th congressional district. The Bureau of Labor and Industries (that’s what BOLI is), oversees Oregon’s trade school, civil rights issues, and housing. Find out why both of these races have superior candidates. Hint: They’re not the democrats.

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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: October 22nd & 23rd, 2022 | Guests: Cheri Helt & Mike Erickson

This Week – Those Down Ballot Races

This year, you cannot vote just the top of the ticket — governor — and ignore all those down ballot races. They are every bit as important as the governor’s race. In part, because the Republican governor will need all the republicans she can get. 

But it’s more than just house and senate races. There are other “down ballot races” you need to pay attention to. And one of them is the BOLI commissioner. A little-known race that helps set the tone for the rest of the state’s business environment.

Sometimes, these races are hard to figure out. But this year, it’s especially easy: vote Republican. In every race. Down ballot or otherwise. And it’s made even more easy with clearly superior candidates in the two down-ballot races we’re talking about on this week’s show.

Cheri Helt for BOLI Commissioner

The Bureau of Labor and Industries has had a democrat stranglehold on it for decades. Perhaps that’s why we’re short tens of thousands of trade jobs in this state as Kitzhaber and Brown wanted to shove everyone into university and practically shamed kids if the even thought of a job in the skilled trades. 

You can find Cheri’s campaign website at www.CheriHelt.com

The Bureau of Labor and Industries (that’s what BOLI is), oversees Oregon’s trade schools (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.), civil rights issues, fair housing practices and more. Oregon has a huge housing shortage and a shortage of workers Democrats have been in charge of BOLI for decades. And with their college-first, trades-bad mindset, it’s no surprise.

Cheri’s opponent, Christina Stephenson, is a lawyer who wants yet more authority for BOLI. Hmm. Oregon’s BOLI famously sued Melissa’s Sweet Cakes because Melissa didn’t want to bake a cake for a gay couple. Is that what Christina has in mind for more authority? We just went through Covid with no end of “more authority.” Do we really want a progressive lawyer in there who’d love nothing more than to sue even more businesses out of business because they don’t fit her politics?

That’s not what Oregon needs. More politics pushed on businesses. Oh. And Christina wants more funding for BOLI. Probably because hiring more attorneys gets expensive.

No thanks. We’ll take Cheri.

Mike Erickson for Oregon’s CD6

This week we welcome back actual businessman, Mike Erickson. Who, unlike his opponent, knows what supply chains are and how disrupting them can and does impact the economy. Which is more than we can say for Biden or anyone in his administration. Which seems to only want to blame oil companies.

Learn more about Mike Erickson by visiting his campaign website, www.MikeEricksonforCongress.org

The latest? Blaming Biden’s exploding gas prices on oil companies’ profits. What? Do they not know what profits are? Or how not spending on oil exploration or purchasing federal oil leases (which they wouldn’t be allowed to use under Biden) or any the other normal business expenses will make profits go up?

It’s embarrassing to think, but third-graders running a lemonade stand have more practical knowledge of basic economics principles and more hands-on understanding of supply and demand than Joe Biden. Or anyone in his administration, apparently.

And did the democrats’ gerrymandering catch up with them as they spread Portland’s potential influence too thin into four congressional districts, not just the two Portland actually deserved? Now, with so much of Portland angry at democrat Ted Wheeler and an astounding 82% (82!!) wanting MORE police, not less, democrats may have spread Portland’s influence all right.

Just not in the direction they intended. 

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Our guests’ websites are www.CheriHelt.com and www.MikeEricksonforCongress.org

Cheri Helt Segments (1–3)

Mike Erickson Segments (4–6)

12-39 It’s the Elections, Stupid | The Front Lines of Freedom are in Oregon

12-39 It’s the Elections, Stupid | The Front Lines of Freedom are in Oregon

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Show Summary: This week, we’re focusing on the front lines of freedom. And right now, our freedoms come down to the elections. We speak with a businessman running for Congress to get government out of the way, and a scientist who attended the Washington County trial in which the State and county are attempting to hide public records from the public. And you won’t believe what the judge did to the expert witness.

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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: September 24th & 25th, 2022 | Guest: Mike Erickson & Chuck Wiese 

This Week – It’s the Elections, Stupid

Bill Clinton famously had a sign on the Oval office wall, “It’s the economy, stupid.” It served as a daily reminder that the economy is what matters most to most people. Well, who is in charge of that economy comes down to elections.

In Oregon, the far-left policies keep us entrenched in high taxes, rising housing costs, and dubious curricula in public schools to cripple the next generation, and elections that don’t bring answers to the problems. It all feels hopeless. and many have left the state going to redder pastures to find the answers in states that make sense. Lower taxes, less big government, lower public debt, or maybe none at all if you’re in South Dakota. Meanwhile, Oregon’s lawmakers look to ruin our electric grid by pulling out dams, then force electric cars on its citizens whether we like it or not. Thus dies the free market.

Mike Erickson, Candidate for Oregon’s New CD 6

Speaking of that sign in the Oval office, we’ve gone from “It’s the economy, stupid,” to “It’s a stupid economy.” Here’s a hint to voters in Oregon’s new CD 6. If you want to fix the economy, don’t elect someone who has no business experience. Oregon, and the nation, needs elected officials who have practical business experience — not someone who has spent their entire life in government. (Hint number two: Biden has no practical business experience and look how that’s worked out.)

If you want to support Mike Erickson, find out what you can do at MikeEricksonforCongress.org. (Start by sharing that with your family and friends!)

Remember the strategy we mentioned months ago: If you live in a safe district (in Oregon, that’s CD 2) or in a hopeless district (CDs 1 and 3), put your time and money and energy to promote and support candidates in districts where they have a chance to flip a seat. That’s CDs 4 (Alek Skarlatos), 5 (Lorie DeRemer), and 6 — Mike Erickson.

Mike is running against Andrea Salinas, a far-left democrat who spent her entire adult life in and around government. On her website, she says she grew up in a hard-working family where nothing was handed to them but they made it through hard work. And, like Mike, she also had a cop for a father. So why is Mike fighting for police and she’s voting to defund the police? And how did she go from “working hard” and pulling oneself up through hard work to a career fighting for government handouts paid for by other people?

So Much for Open and Honest Elections

Here’s a funny thing.

In Oregon, the Secretary of State’s job is to audit other state agencies. But for some reason, she has declared that the elections division is off limits. Why is that? Instead, she has joined a lawsuit against a voter to declare a Washington County database should be shielded from public view and scrutiny.

Imagine trying that if the IRS wanted to audit your business. No, you can’t see the numbers. Trust us. Everything’s fine. You’d be saying that from jail. But the State is refusing to hand over a database, calling it proprietary information of a private company handling Washington County’s elections.

And why is a private company handling our elections to begin with?

We talk with Chuck Wiese — a scientist, analyst, and meteorologist, who has stepped up and joined the front lines of freedom — who was there at both days of the Sippel case trial. You won’t believe what the judge did to an actual, world renowned data scientist. Well, it’s Oregon. Maybe you will.

If the judge decides against the Sippel case, it will only continue to fuel the fire and doubts about the 2020 election. The only way to put out that fire is to open up the data to prove there wasn’t any manipulation. But hiding it and then expecting people to trust the government…?

Regardless of whether or not you think the 2020 election, when it comes to elections, any election, the Golden Rule should be “Open the books.” Hiding the results behind a wall of secrecy is, well, just stupid.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Mike Erickson Segments 1–3

Chuck Wiese Segments 4–6

 

It’s the Economy, Stupid – But What Kind of Economy?

It’s the Economy, Stupid – But What Kind of Economy?

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Show Summary: Economics is always a strange business. But like so much else of American life, the Left is corrupting the economy and using it for their own means. Especially by involving the government. And now, with the Ukraine situation, we’re seeing private businesses waging a private war against Russia — when we’re not even at war with them. Combined with what happened in Canada, is this a foreshadowing of what will happen to our economic freedoms and liberties?

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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: March 5th & 6th, 2022 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week

To quote Bill Clinton, “it’s all about the economy, stupid.”

We take a look at the state of the union speech, the competency of those in charge and their agendas, the economy, and also the economic policies that politicians can win on this year. Even here in Oregon. Plus, with the war in Ukraine, we’re seeing an entire new kind of warfare being waged. Economic warfare on a scale we haven’t seen in ages and in ways we’ve never seen. Private companies waging a private war against a country we’re not actually at war with. Combined with what we saw in Canada, what does this mean for our economic freedoms and liberties?

READ: Jonathan’s terrific article about Utah and why they’ve stayed #1 in ALEC’s Rich States, Poor States for 14 years in a row. What are they doing that other states should be doing. And what could go wrong to knock Utah off its perch?
Get this article to your favorite candidate!

We talk with Chief Economist, Jonathan Williams, from ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) about what is going on. We talk about the SOTU speech, the competency of those in charge, and private companies blocking you when they don’t agree with your politics. And we’ll look at true economic policies to win on in 2022. Even right here in Oregon.

And don’t miss the discussion about what is happening, on economic terms, in the war between Russia and Ukraine. And what it means for our future economic liberties and freedom.

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Links Mentioned Research, & Additional Info

Jonathan Williams is the Chief Economist and Exec VP at American Legislative Exchange Council. Visit ALEC.org to find out more about what they do and how you can get their policies to your politicians.

economics. it's all theory until it implodes. rich states, poor states, and their economic outlook. Plus Oregon
Economics: Rich States, Poor States — Guess Where Oregon is

Economics: Rich States, Poor States — Guess Where Oregon is

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Show Summary: It’s true economics isn’t the most exciting topic in the world — that is, until everything starts blowing up. Then you’ll wish you’d paid attention.

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Five Different Times, on Seven Different Stations. Listen anywhere! All stations stream live!

Saturdays
10a – 11a: KFIR 720AM (entire Willamette Valley) | Direct Link to KFIR Live Stream
11a – noon: KLBM 1450AM (Union County) | Direct Link to KLBM Live Stream
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7p – 8p: KWRO 630AM (Oregon Coast & Southeastern Oregon) | Direct Link to KWRO Live Stream

Sundays
8a – 9a: KWVR 1340AM (Wallowa County) | Direct Link: KWVR Live Stream
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Mondays
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Original Air Dates: May 15 & 16, 2021 | Jonathan Williams

This Week: Economics isn’t always exciting — unless things are blowing up. Or it’s a horse race.

We welcome back Jonathan Williams, Chief Economist and Executive Vice President of Policy of the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC has just released their 2021 Rich States, Poor States guide for 2021, an annual guide to the 50 states’ economic outlook. Talk about good, bad, and ugly. Look no further than how the states are competing with one another.

The Overall U.S. Economy & Economics

Before we narrow down to the states, we first look at the overall economy. This is a bit of a continuation of the last time Jonathan was on, when we talked about the democrats’ shift to what we call “non-reality economics.” The democrats’ plans are an explosion of taxes and spending sprees (what did we just say about exploding economics…?).

That discussion, was about the radical shift we’re seeing the democrats trying desperately to push on the U.S. Which, sadly, takes a hard left turn away from what has made America successful. It’s a fantasy land where debt has no meaning, money is infinite, and all we need to do is print money and borrow until every there’s a unicorn in every garage and a leprechaun in every pot.

But the problem democrats always run into is simple one. Reality. And there’s proof, thanks to the 50 test tubes of democracy that make up America.

Good Economies: How NOT to do it

Sometimes, to know what to do, it helps to know what not to do. And look no further than New York State, which had the worst response to covid and lost a congressional seat due to people fleeing the Empire State. And now new York will punish the people and businesses that for some reason haven’t left. Yet.

We talk with Jonathan about his terrific article in the National Review, “The Fallout from ‘Progressive’ Budgets in New York.” There has been a massive shift in who pays for things. Now, instead of New York being in debt to cover its debt, everyone else gets to go in debt to cover New York’s debts.

And that’s the direction we as a nation are headed. Where there is a fundamental shift in who pays for things: everyone is paying for everyone else. That’s socialism. Marxist ideology pushed onto America.

Socialism only survives as long as it is able to feed off the success of capitalism
– Mark Anderson

Rich States, Poor States

Why and how economies and economic policies work is sometimes beyond people’s wheelhouse. But everyone understands competition, right? Who’s best. Who’s worst. And who’s on the way up and who’s on the way down.

Oregon's economic performance 2009 - 2019. Courtesy of Rich States, Poor States
Courtesy Rich States, Poor States, 2021 Edition. (Click image for full size.)

That’s where Rich States, Poor States comes in. (You can download your own copy right here.) RSPS is a look back at the states’ economic performances over the last 10 years—of available data. This year, its’ a look at 2009–2019.

The backward-looking economic performance ranking examines how well states did. Oregon, from 2009–2019, really didn’t do too bad. This ranking looks at three variables: a state’s gross domestic product, their absolute domestic migration, and non-farm payroll.

Take a look at Oregon’s charts. And look at how well they’re correlated. As the state did better and better, culminating in 2015, people moved in (especially in 2016). Payrolls went up. And then, as Oregon’s GDP declined, there went the people. And payrolls dropped.

See? Economics isn’t too hard.

Oregon’s Economic Outlook

When it comes to Oregon’s economic outlook ranking, every year we’re like “please don’t embarrass us, please don’t embarrass us…” And then there we are. Near the bottom. Again. But it’s even worse this year.

You’ll have to tune in to hear just how bad. (Or, you could cheat and go right to Rich States Poor States to find out.) But here’s a hint. We beat even our idiot neighbor to the south in some categories. In fact, in the worst possible category. And we’re worse than New York State in some categories. You know, the one state we just mentioned. How not to run an economy.

Although at least the beat us to the bottom for the worst outlook. Hey. You gotta look for the positive right?

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Links Mentioned

Did You Know…?

  • The Fed has been pumping (printing) money into the economy. But something new happened in 2020. Now, they are buying corporate bonds. This is a direct investment into select corporations. Here’s a hint. It’s not mom-and-pop shops. It’s gigantic companies that don’t need the money, but the Fed is rewarding them anyway.
  • The Fed says it is going to start buying individual corporate bonds (CNBC, June 15, 2020)
  • The Fed begins purchases of up to $250 billion in individual corporate bonds (Markets Insider, June 15, 2020)
  • Why the Fed’s new index approach to buying U.S. corporate debt ‘changes everything’ (MarketWatch, June 18, 2020)
  • Fed Makes Initial Purchases in Its First Corporate Debt Buying Program (New York Times, May 12, 2020)
  • Is the Federal Reserve Printing Money? (The Balance, May 11, 2021)
  • Why is the Fed buying up mortgages? At $40 billion per month. Is this why the housing market keeps exploding? “Understanding the Federal Reserve Balance Sheet” (Investopedia, Mar 19, 2021)

Related Links

  • The Fed Should Get Out of the Mortgage Market: Even central bankers are starting to wonder why they’re adding $40 billion of housing debt every month. (Bloomberg Opinion, May 11, 2021)
    • “Why exactly is the Fed still increasing its holdings of mortgage-backed securities by $40 billion a month when Chair Jerome Powell himself has said that “the housing sector has more than fully recovered from the downturn”?* “The Fed has gobbled up almost $2 trillion of MBS since March 2020, which is more than its total aggregate purchases in any of its previous quantitative easing episodes.”
    • At an average home mortgage price of $250,000, the fed backs the mortgage on some 8 million homes. Yikes!
  • In 2010, The Fed answers FAQs on Mortgage Backed Securities
  • What Is An Agency MBS And How Does The Federal Reserve’s Purchase Of MBS Affect Mortgage Rates? (Quicken Loans, Feb 19, 2021)
    • “A mortgage-backed security (MBS) is a pool of home loans, often packaged by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae, sold on the open bond market to investors. The investors who buy the securities then receive the payback on a monthly basis when homeowners make their principal and interest payments.”
  • Difference Between Agency and Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities (The Balance, Jul 15  2020) – “Agency” simply means an dept of the federal govt, or MBS that become backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.