Category: Elections

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

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

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?

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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: 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.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

The Shemia Fagan Scandal

 

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

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

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.

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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?

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

13-12 The Democrats’ Socialist Plans for Oregon – Legislative Update

13-12 The Democrats’ Socialist Plans for Oregon – Legislative Update

Show 13-12 Summary: When it comes to the democrats’ socialist plans for Oregon, they can be summed up by borrowing (pun intended) from an old video game: “All your money are belong to us.” We check in with Senator Dennis Linthicum about their plans for socialized medicine, the tools Republicans have to stop bad bills, and whatever happened to that $5,200 kicker for Oregon families?

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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 25th & 26th, 2023 | Guest: Senator Dennis Linthicum

This Week – The Democrats’ Socialist Plans for Oregon

This week, it’s our monthly check in with Senator Dennis Linthicum to talk about what’s happening in the capital. The democrats’ socialist plans for Oregon are legion.

Democrats' socialist plans for Oregon - All your money are belong to us
“All your base are belong to us”

To sum up the democrats’ socialist plans, your money doesn’t belong to you. And we’re not taxing you enough to give away all this free stuff. And Oregon continues its lurch toward socialized medicine with SB704 which would create single-payer health care. Because it’s worked so well in other countries. Like Canada. Where it’s worked so well that people are dying to escape it. Literally. Canada is now actively encouraging the elderly and people with long-term health problems to kill themselves. Not kidding. And they’re not even hiding it. They want people to kill themselves because their care is expensive. And killing themselves will save the system money.

Please, democrats. By all means. You go first.

And that’s just one among other disasters.

Fighting Back against the Democrats’ Socialist Plans

We welcome back Senator Dennis Linthicum (Klamath-28) to give insights into the democrats’ socialist plans. In case you missed it, last year’s democrats spawned a ballot initiative, Measure 111, to make health care a “fundamental right.” It’s not. Anymore than if they had pushed out a ballot measure that made owning unicorns a fundamental right. But now Oregon has it in its state constitution.

Catch Sen. Dennis Linthicum’s previous legislative updates: 13-04 (Have Democrats Learned the Lesson?) and 13-08 (The Mad, Mad Spending)

Now, democrats are using that ballot initiative to make socialized, single-payer, universal healthcare the law of the land. Except while the legislative initiative that created Measure 111 may have urged socialized medicine, that’s not what the ballot measure actually said. It just required “universal access” and cost-effective. We already have “universal access.” Sick and show up in the emergency room with no money? Guess what, you get treated. As for cost-effective, how is $54 billion for “free” healthcare cost effective? So why are democrats determined to lurch down the road to socialized medicine?

Because, as usual, it is about bringing more money and more control under the government’s sway. Now, not only will your money not belong to you. But neither will your own health.

Oh, and what’s the deal with the kicker? All that and more but there may be some solutions to at least some of it.

Get Involved! Don’t be Silent.

olis oregon legislature submit testimonyWe are in this mess because too many sane people stay silent. While the insane shriek their weird opinions at the capitol. Did you know that it is now easier than ever to submit testimony against bad bills and for good bills. Don’t let “testimony” scare you. It just means your opinion.

All you really need is the bill’s number. And if you don’t know the bill number, you can still find it on the site (see steps below). Or use your favorite search engine.

Here’s what you do:

  1. Head to olis.oregonlegislature.gov.
  2. Select the bills icon at the top right of the page
  3. Type the bill number in the popup. Select it the correct one. (If you don’t know the bill’s number try a word search in the “bill text” tab.)
  4. At the top of the bill’s page you’ll see a “submit testimony” tab. That brings up a form.
  5. Enter your name, your city, your comments in the text window, select whether you oppose or support and – boom you’re done.

See how easy that is? You don’t need to be elegant (although do be polite) or have a thousand unassailable facts. (Hey. The democrats just have feelings.) Just be heard. It’s your opinion. No excuse to be silent.

Remember: silence has never changed anything. Don’t be silent.

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

  • Get involved. Head to olis.oregonlegislature.gov. to submit your testimony — you opinion — about bills. Good or bad. See the steps above for a walk-through.
  • Measure 111, passed in 2022, via Ballotpedia
  • $200M homeless package heads to governor’s desk (Statesman, Mar 21, 2023)
    • 7 Republican Senators voted against the pkg, Linthicum was one of them
  • Where did the $400M Oregon allocated last year for homelessness go? (Statesman, Mar 19, 2023)
    • “At least 14,600 people are experiencing homelessness across Oregon”
    • Julie Fahey (D): “That $400M was a ‘catalyst” for the larger set of goals we have.”
  • Cascade Policy Institute Research Finds School Choice programs Can Boost Public School Performance (Cascade Policy Institute, 2023)

Just a few dangerous bills

  • SB 85 – Dennis Linthicum mentioned this dangerous bill during the show.
    • Senator David Brock-Smith says, “This bill deals with CAFO’s and has democrats attacking our dairies, chicken and cattle farms and ranches. As they do, the bill itself is just a “study” but the amendment goes far beyond that and will shut down current farming operations.” Under this bill, the State Department of Agriculture would not issue or renew a license or permit to allow the construction or operation of: “(a) A new industrial confined animal feeding operation; “(b) An addition to, or expansion of, an existing industrial confined animal feeding operation; or “(c) An addition to, or expansion of, an existing livestock farm if the addition or expansion would cause the livestock farm to become an industrial confined animal feeding operation.”
  • HB 2004 – Establishes ranked choice voting as voting method for selecting offices of statewide races: the President, U.S. Senators and Representatives, Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General and Commissioner of Bureau of Labor and Industries.
  • HB 3509 – Establishes ranked choice voting for selecting winner of nomination for and election to nonpartisan state offices and county and city offices except where home rule charter applies.
  • Oregon lawmakers consider new gun legislation (Oregon Insider, Mar 21, 2023). The three bills are:
    • House Bill 2005 bans the sale, manufacture and importation of so-called ghost guns with homemade parts that are untraceable;
    • HB 2006 raises the age of legal purchase and possession of firearms from 18 to 21, but allows exceptions for hunting and shooting; and
    • HB 2007 extends to cities, counties and special districts the authority that the 2021 Legislature had granted to public schools, community colleges, and universities regulating or barring firearms from their buildings and grounds, including people with concealed-carry licenses.
13-10 Major Victories from Major Defeats | How Republicans can Win in 2024

13-10 Major Victories from Major Defeats | How Republicans can Win in 2024

Show 13-10 Summary: This week, for once, the host of the I Spy Radio is doing all the talking. Normally, I Spy is all about researching our guest’s topics, asking questions, and letting them do the talking. But recently, the Salem’s Capitol City Republican Women group invited Mark Anderson to be their speaker at a luncheon. His spoke on how Republicans can recover from major defeats, like they saw in 2020 and 2022. Using lessons from history, combined with some pivotal I Spy Radio Shows to illustrate what’s happening, he describes how Republicans can win in 2024. So on today’s show, he gives it again to our radio audience.

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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 11th & 12th, 2023 | Mark Anderson

This Week – Mark’s Speech to the CCRW Luncheon

Salem’s Capitol City Republican Women invited I Spy’s host, Mark Anderson, to give a speech on Thursday, March 9th. This week’s show, he gives it again to his entire radio audience. Note that we cut  about 7-10 minutes from the speech to fit into a a broadcast radio “hour.”

After the show airs on our network of stations, we will post the full-length speech as the podcast version.

How Republicans can Win in 2024

Mark begins the speech with what the Hungarians faced in 1241 when they were invaded by the Mongols. In the wake of a devastating defeat that saw 1/4 of his countrymen killed and virtually all of Hungary’s towns and cities destroyed, King Bela IV had to face the brutal truth: that his country and its army were completely unprepared to deal with invaders like the Mongols.

But, as Mark highlights, major victories can come from major defeats. By facing the brutal facts. Using King Bela’s reforms, combined with pivotal past I Spy Radio shows to illustrate what is happening now, Mark examines how Republicans can win in 2024. And beat the Mongol Marxists destroying America.

Disinformation and Cognitive Warfare: The New Battlefield

Disinformation by Ron Rychlak book cover
Order the book!

One of the pivotal series of shows discussed in his speech was I Spy’s series of shows on disinformation. If you have not yet read Disinformation by Lt. General Ion Pacepa and Ron Rychlak, you need to. It explains so much about what we are experiencing in America today. As our own government uses tools of manipulation, cognitive warfare, launching disinformation campaigns against unsuspecting Americans. Mark explains how we know for sure that the “Russia collusion” hoax was in fact a disinformation campaign.

One last thing. When it comes to fighting disinformation, it requires influencers and the weight of reality and truth. For example, the truth and reality of the January 6th footage. Not the edited versions the January 6th tribunal was releasing The day after his speech, there was an incredible letter from democrat Dr. Naomi Wolf, apologizing for being taken in by the Left’s and the government’s propaganda. It is a long letter, but well worth the read. Because it shows that the spell of disinformation can be broken.

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

  • Dr. Naomi Wolf: Dear Conservatives, I Apologize (Outspoken with Dr Naomi Wolf, March 10, 2023)
  • My “Team” was Taken in By Full-Spectrum Propaganda
  • See our shows on disinformation with the co-author of the book, Ron Rychlak
  • Battle of Mohi (Encyclopedia Britannica)
  • Battle of Agincourt (Britannica, no date)
  • PBS still spreading the disinformation about “Hitler’s Pope”: “Vatican documents show secret back channel between Pope Pius XII and Hitler” (PBS, June 7, 2022)
  • Former Public Health Officials Undermine Public Trust with Conduct Unbecoming Scientists (Epoch Times, March 10, 2023)*”Fauci and Collins owe the country an apology… [Two] of the nation’s top public health officials obstructed the proper deliberative process essential to fashioning proper policy responses to the emergency.”
13-08 The Mad, Mad Spending – Real School Choice Needed in Oregon

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

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.

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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 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

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

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

 

13-01 Shaking off Yesteryear & Hoping for Change in the New Year – 2023 Preview

13-01 Shaking off Yesteryear & Hoping for Change in the New Year – 2023 Preview

Show 13-01 Summary: New Year’s is always a time of reflection and looking ahead. There were a lot of lowlights in 2022 but there were some really good outcomes. A few. Can they be enough to make 2023 better — at a time when many economists warn a big recession is coming in 2023? Bestselling author Scott McEwen and scientist Chuck Wiese give their 2023 preview: the new Republican congress, what can we realistically expect, and could 2023 be a year of more faith and revival?

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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: Date, 2023 | Guests:Scott McEwen and Chuck Wiese

This Week – 2022 Review, 2023 Preview

For our first show of our 13th year (wow!), we welcome back two of our favorite guests, Scott McEwen and Chuck Wiese. To take a look back at 2022 and to give us their 2023 preview.

And there were definitely a lot of “lowlights” in 2022. Among the biggest disappointments, if not the biggest disappointments was the midterm elections. While Republicans picked up seats, picked up voters (some 6 million more people voted Republican than in 2018), and picked up the House, there were a few key, critical races where Republicans failed. Most notably, in the Senate.

2023 – Off to a Rocky Start

We talk with Scott McEwen, the bestselling co-author of American Sniper, about the political side of 2023. The Republicans only just barely control the House and don’t even have a tie any more in the Senate. So what can they realistically get done? Will there be real investigations? Investigations that seek the truth, not invent it? Will the DOJ, FBI, CIA, and others be held responsible for interfering with the 2020 election? Or for blocking the Hunter Biden laptop scandal?

And what about all those revelations from the Twitter files? Covid, corruption, and outright censorship. We’re just getting started on those.

We also talk about the shocking collapse of Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin on live TV on Monday Night football. Was it the vaccine? What were his teammates, who were also forced to get the vaccine thinking? And while Pfizer and the others have blanket immunity, does the NFL?

Then we talk with Chuck Wiese about the disappointing efforts to end election theft. We saw progress in a number of states but Pennsylvania and especially Arizona just blatantly cheated. Completely out in the open, not caring who noticed.

But we also speak with him about the passing of Pope Benedict XVI on New Year’s Eve. Chuck is a devout catholic  and we wanted to get his thoughts. Benedict XVI was a strong theologian who did not see a conflict between faith and reason and saw that today’s so-called “science” is attacking both. As a fierce global warming debunker, Chuck is very aware of the lack of objectivity in today’s science. And the more we learn about God’s creation, will more scientists find their way to faith?

Show Notes

Please note that at the time of our interviews, the vote for House Speaker and the Brunson case had not yet been settled. Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy but special congratulations to the Freedom Caucus on some huge concessions that may reform how business is done in the House. And we truly look forward to the Church-Committee-style investigations into the weaponization of the FBI and DOJ.

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

Not Mentioned but Related

  • Elon Musk Reacts After “America First Legal” Uncovers Damning Evidence Revealing a Secret Twitter’s “Partner Support Portal” Used by Government to Censor Dissenting COVID-19 Viewpoints (Gateway Pundit, Dec 14, 2022)
  • Bombshells You Might Have Missed About the FBI’s Censorship and Election Meddling › American Greatness (American Greatness, Dec 12 2022)
  • Victor Davis Hanson: “10 Steps to Save America: Yes, there is a way. But is there the will?” (American Greatness,  Dec 18, 2022)
  • Dr. McCullough: “It Looks Like The mRNA Is Transferring From The Vaccinated To The Unvaccinated” (via Rumble, Dec 2022)
  • Doctor Censored on Twitter After COVID Lockdown Warnings Says ‘Unspecified Agents’ Behind Blacklisting (Epoch Times, Dec 16, 2022)
  • 11 Ominous Economic Predictions for 2023 (No Q Report, Jan 4, 2023)
  • How Green Investors Pay the Media to Promote ‘Climate Change’ (Front Page Magazine, Jan 5, 2023)
    • The Associated Press takes millions from groups leveraged in green investments to promote the need for green investments.

 

12-51 They’re Spying on Us | Government Immunity, Royalty, and the Rest of Us

12-51 They’re Spying on Us | Government Immunity, Royalty, and the Rest of Us

Show Summary: The Twitter files exposing government agents spying on and censoring Americans. And, there is clear evidence of election interference. Which, given the lengths they went to in 2016 and during all of Trump’s presidency, should surprise no one. So much of government’s malfeasance comes down to one issue: government immunity. It is prohibitively hard to hold government and government officials accountable. But recently, there have been some surprising rulings by the Supreme Court on constitutional issues, especially 2nd Amendment rulings. Could we be seeing the dawn of the return to the Constitution?

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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 17th & 18th, 2022 | Guest: Jonathan Emord

This Week – Overcoming Government Immunity

The Twitter files exposed government agents spying on and censoring Americans. Many of us who have been banned, blocked, suspended, censored, and shadowbanned already figured this out.

Election interference? Elon Musk: "Unequivocally true. The evidence is clear and voluminous."
Election interference? “Unequivocally true” (Click for full size)

But we figured it was Twitter employees gleefully banning, etc., their political opponents. Only a few of us suspected what was really happening. Which is way worse: government agents working directly with, and directing, those Twitter employees to ban, block, suspend, censor, and shadowban the government’s political enemies.

So there you have it. Government agents clearly committing First Amendment violations as they colluded with Twitter employees to interfere in the 2020 and 2022 elections.

Which, given the lengths they went to in 2016, and during all of Trump’s presidency, should surprise no one.

Nixon? Watergate anyone?

Recently, there have been some surprising rulings by the Supreme Court on constitutional issues, especially 2nd Amendment rulings. Could we be seeing the dawn of the return to the Constitution?

The Authoritarians by Jonathan Emord
Order The Authoritarians on Amazon

We talk with Jonathan Emord, one of America’s top constitutional lawyers, about what is happening and what could (and should!) happen to these government agents who abused their power. The big question is how do we get past government immunity?

Fortunately, there have been some pro-constitution rulings by the Supreme Court of late. Especially on the 2nd Amendment. Overturning New York State’s onerous restrictive gun laws, which is very encouraging for Oregonians fighting the recently passed Measure 114.

Could this be a signal the highest court in the land is finally returning to and embracing the sanctity — and sanity — of the Constitution?

Programming Note

This is our last live show of the year. We will be re-airing our show with Dr Ken Johnson about the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Since that originally aired Thanksgiving weekend, we’re sure it didn’t get nearly the attention it deserved. We’ll get that to you by no later than Thursday the 22nd.

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 Emord’s must-read book is The Authoritarians: The Authoritarians: Their Assault on Individual Liberty, the Constitution, and Free Enterprise from the 19th Century to the Present.

Jonathan Emord’s article: Rogue Virginia ABC Sends Police to Enforce COVID Lockdown (Townhall, Dec 4, 2022)

Elon Musk: Unequivocally true tweet (Elon Musk, Twitter, Dec 9, 2022)

Now What? (American Greatness, Dec 12, 2022)*Big Tech drastically suppressed information damaging to Joe Biden…before election day.*the FBI engaged with Big Tech executives on a routine basis to do the Biden family’s bidding in advance of the bombshell coverage in the Post and elsewhere.*Elvis Chan, one of the bureau’s conduits to Silicon Valley, admitted many conversations were conducted on Signal, an encrypted chat application, which allows for disappearing messages.

The Brief: A Handy Cheat Sheet of the Many Lies Exposed by Musk’s Release of the Twitter Files (Gregg Jarrett, Dec 14, 2022)

8 Times Our Federal Government Ran A Protect-Biden Racket (The Federalist, Dec 14, 2022)

For Years Fact Checkers Have Been Targeting Conservative Media – This Week We Learned the State Dept. Was Funding Them (Gateway Pundit, Dec 14, 2022)

Tucker Carlson Points Out “For Some Reason Twitter Seems to Need an Awful Lot of Spies” (The Gateway Pundit, Dec 14, 2022)

FBI May Have Violated Free Speech Rights: Legal Experts (NTD, Dec 14, 2022).

Dupe or Designated Defendant? The Criminal Case Against Jack Dorsey (Jonathan Turley, Dec 11, 2022)

 

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

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…

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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

 

12-49 Government Accountability: Censorship and an Astounding Supreme Court Case

12-49 Government Accountability: Censorship and an Astounding Supreme Court Case

Show Summary: Government must be founded on people of high moral standards. But what happens when people of low morals run it? Pretty much exactly what we see happening right now. This week, we’re talking about government accountability. In particular, how can government officials be held accountable for their actions. Or lack of actions. Does their oath of office mean anything or not? It turns out, a Supreme Court case brought by the Brunson brothers could make that happen.

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

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 3rd & 4th, 2022 | Guests: Loy Brunson & Joe Mobley

This Week – Government Accountability

This week, we’re looking into a court case currently at the Supreme Court, brought by a private citizen, to actually hold members of congress — and the president and vice president — accountable for failing to uphold their oath of office. While it sounds too good to be true, it has good constitutional grounds in that elected officials are to be “bound” by their oath. Not just mouth-breathe it.

Then we’re taking a look at Big Tech’s censorship — except this time it boomeranged on them. YouTube actually drove users to a competitor and, finally, Congress may take a hard look into Section 230 to revise it and shift all those “platforms” to what they really are: publishers.

This could get really interesting really fast.

Real Government Accountability: The Brunson Brothers’ Supreme Court Case

You might have heard about this. There is a case right now at the Supreme Court, docket number 22-380. It has been accepted and is awaiting its conference date where the nine justices meet to discuss which cases they’ll take on. It only needs four votes to move forward. We welcome Loy Brunson to discuss the case, which has his brother’s name on it: Raland Brunson.

At its heart, the case deals with holding government accountable for their actions. Or, in this case, their lack of action. In the wake of the 2020 election, there was a lot of accusations of voter fraud and election tampering. Including outright theft of the election.

One hundred members of Congress wanted to push the pause button. They wanted 10 days to investigate credible allegations of fraud in the 2020 election because, if true, it meant a grave and unprecedented threat to our democracy.

But the democrats won, so they weren’t interested in pesky things like the Constitution or their oath of office to defend it. Likewise, RINO republicans were more than happy to have Trump driven from office. And if it meant a little fraud or a little election theft, so be it. They too didn’t care if it meant a direct attack on our Constitution. They got what they wanted. Move on.

But threats to the Constitution demand answers. Especially from those who took an oath to support and defend it.

Now, a court case brought by the Brunson Brothers, seeks to do just that.

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

One would think defending the Constitution would be a simple and straightforward process. But the Brunsons’ battle to do that was filled with no end of hurdles and people who apparently had no interest in defending the Constitution. Including judges, courts, and federal attorneys general. Which is odd because that’s their job.

Their court case takes a novel approach. While it deals with the election fraud of 2020, it does not seek to overturn the election or hard-to-prove (from a legal standpoint) allegations of voter fraud. Instead, it seeks to hold 385 members of congress, Biden, Harris, and former VP Pence accountable for failing to uphold their oaths of office in the face of a clear threat to the Constitution. By voting against a simple investigation, they failed their oaths. And, according to the Constitution, they are bound by their oaths. It’s not just a ceremony.

Visit 7discoveries.com to support the Brunson Brothers’ Supreme Court Case! You could help make history.

Fortunately, the Loy Brunson and his brothers were both patriots and determined ones. And they found a backdoor to get their case to the SCOTUS. Not only that, but found a willing and receptive audience. Tune in to hear how they got around the hurdles. And, incredibly, what the remedy is that they seek: the removal from office of those who violated their oaths.

And not just that. But to bar them from ever holding office again.

Think that would send some shock waves through our faithless government officials? Talk about government accountability!

And get the day for the Supreme Court conference: January 6, 2023.

Censorship and Government Propaganda

Next up, we welcome Joe Mobley to talk about Big Tech censorship. Censorship has been an ongoing problem. Especially on social media but not just there. Because it turns out our own government worked with Big Tech to censor voices and opinions they didn’t like. Once again, there’s that whole Constitution thing. You’d think someone in government would have read it by now. And maybe discovered that the First Amendment prohibits the government from censoring opinions.

Or maybe they did read it. Which is why the government has been working with Big Tech to censor. Let them do the dirty work.

Twitter post that has Mark Anderson (@iSpyRadio) banned from Twitter
Should @iSpyRadio be banned for telling the truth? (click for full size)

As mentioned on the show on the right is Mark’s Twitter post that has him banned. Apparently, the censors on Twitter don’t like it when someone criticizes socialized medicine. What do you think? Does it deserve a ban? (By the way, it’s 100% accurate. Right now, Canada’s socialized medicine system is actively encouraging the old and infirm to kill themselves. To save they system money. To the point that euthanasia is now the 6th leading cause of death in Canada.

We welcome Joe Mobley, a member of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Project 21, to talk about Big Tech’s censorship. Project 21 has been a leading organization for Black conservative voices for over 25 years.

Joe is the host of his own show, which can be found at TheJoeMobleyShow.com

What got our attention was Joe’s article in the Daily Caller: “The Walls Are Closing In On Big Tech“. Are Big Tech’s days of censorship numbered? Could —okay, more to the point, will—the new congress finally take action on Section 230 to hold Big Tech accountable for its censorship? Tune in to hear how that might work and what it might look like.

But it’s more than just censorship. It’s government propaganda. Because when they’re not banning conservative voices, they’re pushing their own Leftist ideology at the request of our own government. More of that government accountability right there.

Don’t miss this discussion of how bad it is. And what is already happening to turn it around.

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

Loy Brunson Segments (1–3)

  • Support their efforts for government accountability! Visit 7discoveries.com to donate
  • An easy to read history of the Brunson Brothers court cases, Loy’s and Raland’s
  • Brunson Brothers History (Loy Brunson’s YouTube channel)
  • Loy Brunson presentation at the DCC Meeting – Challenging the Immunity of Congress (via Rumble, Oct 25, 2022)
    • Presented by Loy Brunson to discuss a case being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Will Four Trumpet Playing Brothers Bring Harmony to the Broken 2020 Election? (Gateway Pundit, Nov 30, 2022)
    • [The] brothers have filed their suit and it is currently with the US Supreme Court.  They claim that the actions by US politicians to ignore requests and arguments from the people to investigate the 2020 Election fell on deaf ears.  But the brothers argue that these politicians had a Constitutional duty to investigate.
    • The case received more attention after it reached the Supreme Court.  It now has been given a docket number 22-380 with the court.
  • SCOTUS Docket #22-380
  • Copy of the case (via Scribd)
  • FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY – National Group Uncovers Real-Time Democrat Election Fraud – HERE’S HOW THEY DID IT (Gateway Pundit, Nov 30, 2022)

Joe Mobley Segments (4–6)