Category: Socialism

What to do About Our Many Healthcare Crises | Part 1

What to do About Our Many Healthcare Crises | Part 1

Show Summary: We are dumping billions upon billions into our healthcare system. But there are more healthcare crises than ever. What’s going on? We talk with health care system expert, Lisa Lettenmaier to find out what’s happening and why there are so many crises. Next week, we’ll look at the root cause of so many of these problems and what can be done.

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Original Air Dates: July 30th & 31st, 2022 | Guest: Lisa Lettenmaier

This Week – Our Many Healthcare Crises

We are diving deep into the problems plaguing our health care system. The many healthcare crises and the ever-growing expense. How is it that we are spending more than ever — by far! — on healthcare and yet it’s just one crisis after another? 

Does anyone even remember that we were promised that Obamacare would fix all this? And cost less?

We bring back our healthcare system expert, Lisa Lettenmaier. Lisa is currently an insurance agent and owns Health Source NW. But her background is in accounting, overseeing budgets and forecasting for major companies. So when she looks at the healthcare crises, she is viewing it not just from an insurance standpoint but from a systemic analyst’s viewpoint.

And it’s not good.

We talk with Lisa about the many healthcare crises right now but focus on three in particular that are the most troubling. Including the mental health crisis, which, in many ways, is emblematic of the other system-wide problems.

We’ll continue this deep dive next week and focus in on the root of all these crises. Which has changed everything—and not for the good.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Rising prescription drug prices (OregonLive, July 20, 2022)

Oregon agency sets virtual public hearings on 2023 health insurance preliminary rate decisions (KTVZ, July 23, 2022)

Healthcare and ambulance services deal with capacity crisis (KGW, July 22, 2022)

Profits of the pandemic: Moderna gives Boston’s property market a shot (Daily Mail, July 23, 2022)

WA hospitals facing ‘unsustainable’ financial losses, in danger of cutting services (Seattle Times, July 21, 2022)

Left’s Latest Health Care Scheme Will Worsen Inflation, The Deficit, And Your Insurance (The Federalist, July 25, 2022)

Difficulty Paying Bills Tops Pandemic High in US Census Survey (Yahoo News, July 25, 2022)

Covid Relief Spending by the Federal Government (via USASpending.gov, retrieved July 28, 2022)

Dobbs and EPA — What a Whole New SCOTUS Means for America

Dobbs and EPA — What a Whole New SCOTUS Means for America

Show Summary: This week, two momentous decisions by the Supreme Court will have long-reaching impact. We talk with constitutional attorney, Jonathan Emord, about the Dobbs and EPA rulings, why they are so important, and the impact they will have. And why Dobbs and EPA signal a whole new court—and the first true major blow to the deep state in decades.

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Original Air Dates: July 23, 2022 | Guest: Jonathan Emord

This Week – Dobbs and EPA

Instead of two guests, we have two topics. We are going to dig in deep into two recent Supreme Court decisions: the Dobbs and EPA rulings.

Specifically, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and WV v EPA. These two decisions alone represent a huge shift at SCOTUS.

Both of rulings these are momentous in their own rights.

Dobbs because it erases an imaginary “Constitutional right” of abortion and will open the door to more protections for the unborn at the state level. And the EPA ruling, because it restores some Constitutional balance among the branches of government. And opens the door to weakening the administrative state. Provided that Congress exercises the power that was restored to it.

Did the 2022 elections just get yugely more important? Yes.

Dobbs Overturns Roe v Wade

Why was Roe v Wade so hard to overturn? How did the 1973 court get is so wrong and invent a “right”? Tune in to find out. And, also importantly, going forward Dobbs gives SCOTUS the mental permission — the fortitude and courage — to make other rulings that restore constitutional order.

The era of the John Roberts court is officially over.

Could America, after all the shrieking is done, could America turn more pro life after the overturn of Roe v Wade with more protections for the unborn? And could we be witnessing the beginning of the end of the Deep State? 

West Virginia vs EPA – First Major Blow to the Deep State

As Jonathan Emord reminds us, the administrative state is the true government because they hold all the real power. Effectively. Because Congress has not used its power. And the Executive Branch has both abused its power  through overreach and failed to use its power to rein in unelected bureaucrats.

Want to know how the administrative state (aka the Deep State) took over? Then you must read Jonathan Emord’s The Authoritarians

The EPA ruling just restored the separation of powers in a big way. The EPA grabbed a tremendous amount of power when it decided it could use the Clean Air Act to effectively regulate the entire economy via climate change. Now, its WV v EPA ruling stripped the EPA of that power and handed it back to Congress. Effectively, SCOTUS reaffirmed that laws must come through Congress, not the unelected bureaucrats of the administrative state. And, potentially, could strip billions from the Far Left’s theft of public dollars.

With these two rulings, we stand at the threshold of history. 

Mentioned: The Dr. Frank Executive Club Presentation – Link and Chuck Wiese Primer

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Jonathan Emord’s The Authoritarians is an absolute must-read
  • Brick by Brick, Courts Build a Roadblock Against Biden’s Administrative State (The Epoch Times, July 20, 2022)
  • Supreme Court Targets the Real Enemy (The Epoch Times, July 1, 2022)
    • When you consider the implications of this one decision, they are awesome. It doesn’t just apply to the EPA and its elaborate plans for changing the global climate through command and control. It also applies to every other agency [all 432 of them], including the CDC and even the Federal Reserve itself.
  • The Dobbs Decision, Explained (The Daily Signal,  June 24, 2022)
  • Historic Supreme Court Ruling a Win for Sanctity of Life (GOP.gov, June 24, 2022)
  • Read this terrific and fascinating post from the wife of Andrew Torba (the founder of Gab.com) on the incredible link between a mom and her unborn child that continues for years after birth. Or after an abortion. Could this explain why so many women deeply regret their choice?
  • The Astonishing Implications of Schedule F (Brownstone Institute, June 27, 2022)
    • The Washington Post in an editorial expressed absolute shock and alarm at the implications: The directive from the White House, issued late Wednesday, sounds technical: creating a new “Schedule F” within the “excepted service” of the federal government for employees in policy-making roles, and directing agencies to determine who qualifies. Its implications, however, are profound and alarming. It gives those in power the authority to fire more or less at will as many as tens of thousands of workers currently in the competitive civil service, from managers to lawyers to economists to, yes, scientists.
Woke Sabotage: A Path of Destruction on Purpose? Or Just Accidental?

Woke Sabotage: A Path of Destruction on Purpose? Or Just Accidental?

Show Summary: We all know the Left’s ideology leaves a path of destruction wherever it goes. That’s why people flee Marxist countries on homemade rafts. The latest incarnation of Left ideology is collectively known as “woke” as they seek to enforce their vision of a socialist utopia on elements of American society. Like making race and gender a hiring criteria. Or pushing unlimited, anytime abortion, even “post birth abortion” (i.e., infanticide). But that wide swath of destruction. Is it on purpose or just accidental? It’s time to wake up about woke sabotage.

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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: July 16th & 17th, 2022 | Guests:  Donna Jackson & Ethan Peck

This Week – Woke Sabotage. It’s not an Accident

This week, it’s all about fighting woke policies and ideologies. We have two guests on from two different projects of the National Center for Public Policy Research. Donna Jackson from National Center’s Project 21 to talk about the impact Biden’s economic policies are having not just on Black communities but how the policies developed in democrat-run cities are now being unleashed on the rest of America to weaken us.

And she discusses Black pastors being paid to sabotage Black communities and lead them astray.

Mentioned in the opener: Milton Friedman’s “The Social Responsibility of Business”

Then we talk with first-time guest Ethan Peck about woke impacts in corporations. We talk about his experiences as the Free Enterprise Project attempted to present shareholder resolutions to block woke corporate policies. You won’t believe what happened when he was the only shareholder at the annual shareholder meeting of a woke corporation. And we talk Twitter as the prime example of woke corporations getting a pass from blatantly illegal acts simply because they’re woke. And we talk about how woke CEOs have fallen into a huge trap with their knee-jerk reactions to a post Roe v Wade world. Could they be an accessory to a crime?

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

 

 

The EPA Ruling: How Now Green Cash Cow?

The EPA Ruling: How Now Green Cash Cow?

Show Summary: The West Virginia vs EPA ruling will have long-lasting impacts and could undo much of the fourth branch of government—the administrative state. We talk with meteorologist and actual scientist, Chuck Wiese on where all the global warming has gone this year and the momentous EPA ruling and its impact on the green energy movement. Which has failed so badly in other countries that places like the U.K. have reversed course. Or at least swerved a little. What could this all mean for the future of the Global Warmists and green energy pushers?

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Original Air Dates: July 9th & 10th, 2022 | Guest: Chuck Wiese

This Week – The EPA Ruling

Lost in the shrieking and wailing over the loss of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling will have a long-lasting impact on the administrative branch’s power grab.

For decades, there has been a fourth branch of government, which has become the real rulers of America. Congress has done nothing to rein it in, other than to complain about it. The EPA ruling makes it clear: agencies cannot grab power that Congress did not give it.

If you’re looking for more info on the Take Action Tour, Crisis at the Border, July 15th & 16th, head to TakeActionTour.eventbrite.com

The dirty truth about the Fourth Branch is that Congress is okay with it. Why? Because if some agency makes the rules, then Congress (and individual congressmen and senators) can’t be blamed. Because they didn’t do it. Gosh. It was those sneaky bureaucrats.

Let’s face it. The average member of Congress and the Senate are far, far more concerned about getting reelected. And the Fourth Branch, the administrative state, doing the dirty work gives them political cover. Legislators can go in, ask a few talking-point questions they hope will make the news, and then go off for drinks and parties.

Well, the EPA ruling puts the wheels of reform in motion. If Congress chooses to retake its power.

Want to learn more about the origins of the administrative state and how we got here? Check out this previous show with Jonathan Emord: Restore the Constitution: Eliminate the Administrative State.

We know. Depending on Congress to do the right thing seems pretty hopeless. But there is good news.

Why the EPA Ruling Matters

The Fatal Policy Flaw - Terrific video on what Global Warmists aren't telling you
Check out this terrific video on what Global Warmists aren’t telling you

The good news is the EPA ruling means we don’t need Congress. Because they’re lazy and they can get to their parties a whole lot faster if they don’t have to do anything. Or read bills. Just let the bureaucrats handle the important stuff.

Well, with the EPA ruling, it means we don’t need Congress to rein in the administrative state. Remember, to get this ruling, congress didn’t do anything. It wasn’t congress challenging the administrative state, it was West Virginia. They’d sued over coal power plants the EPA wanted to kill using power it had seized under the Clean Air Act. Congress had nothing to do with this win.

So the good news is, we the people don’t need Congress. If the administrative state steps out of line and tries to grab power, individuals can stop them in their tracks.

Chuck Wiese on the EPA Ruling

This week, meteorologist and actual scientist, Chuck Wiese, is back on the show to dissect the ruling and talk about the long-term impacts this is likely to have. Not just on the EPA but the power grab by all these other agencies. Like the CDC, FDA, and more.

We also talk about Global Warming, which is more religion than science and which has become the gateway drug for Leftist indoctrination in our schools.

And speaking of “global warming” — where is it? We’ve had a cold and wet spring and summer. Aren’t we supposed to be under water by now with all that global warming? What happened. Tune in to hear what’s happening.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Not Directly Mentioned but Informative

  • Great video: The Carbon Offset Problem (Wendover Productions, June 3, 2022)
  • Summary of the Clean Air Act (via the EPA)
  • The Pendleton Act of 1883 (via University of Houston, N.D.)*This is the origins of what we now see as “civil service.” In short, the Pendleton Act attempted to free public servants from politics. Up until then, many civil servant positions were political payoffs—cushy, well-paid jobs for friends, family, and donors. The “spoils system.”
  • Is it ethical to purchase a lithium battery powered EV? (CFact.org, June 7, 2022)
    • Some food for thought about the lack of transparency about “Clean Energy Exploitations”
    • All told, you dig up 500,000 pounds of the earth’s crust for just one battery.
    • To say an EV is a zero-emission vehicle is not at all valid as 80 percent of the electricity generated to charge the batteries is from coal, natural gas, and nuclear.
  • Top 10 Global Warming Lies That May Shock You (Forbes, Feb 9, 2015)
  • Excellent article on how Trump nearly ended the administrative state. And perhaps this is why they worked so feverishly to get rid of him. “The Astonishing Implications of Schedule F” (Brownstone Institute, June 27, 2022)
  • Expert: Green Agenda Causing US Power Grid to Be ‘Incredibly Vulnerable (The Epoch Times, July 4, 2022)
  • Oregon Education Association joins Oregon climate change fight (Biz Journal, June 20, 2022)

 

 

Warriors Beating Back the Woke Culture

Warriors Beating Back the Woke Culture

Show Summary: 2022 will be all about fighting the woke. First up, we welcome first-time guest, Judge Vance Day, who is running for Position 3 on the Oregon Court of Appeals. If he wins, he’ll be the only Constitutionalist on the court. Then we bring back Scott Shepard, Director of the Free Enterprise Project. With Disney and so many other companies going woke, there is a lot to fight against. Including companies pledging to become Death Companies.

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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: May 7, 2022 | Guests: Judge Vance Day & Scott Shepard 

This Week – Warriors Fighting the Woke

That kinda sounds like some zombie apocalypse. But, given that the woke don’t know the constitution, don’t know basic civics (or civility for that matter), don’t know economics, and are only driven by their mindless feelings, maybe it’s appropriate.

This is our final show before Oregon’s May 2022 primary. And this year, elections will be all about fighting the woke. Whether its abortion, free speech, religion, or even things like corporations in politics, it’s all about killing zombies. Er, fighting the woke.

Judge Vance Day: Fighting the Woke Before it was Woke

And when it comes to fighting the woke, Judge Vance Day was fighting the woke before the woke was even known as the woke. While serving as a  Circuit Court Judge in Marion County, he recused himself from personally officiating at same-sex weddings, which he felt was against his religion.

This greatly angered the woke, as all must bow before whatever the woke is in favor of today.

So the horde (back then, they were just “progressives”) came after him. They tried, unsuccessfully, to drive him from the bench, cancel his law license, strip him of his possessions, ruin his reputation and even have him imprisoned.

Great people. Let’s totally give their side more power.

Tune in to hear Judge Vance Day’s take on what the Oregon Court of Appeals should be like and how he would handle a leak similar to what we saw this past week as an insider leaked the Roe v. Wade draft opinion.

Scott Shepard: Fighting the Woke Corporations

Let’s face it. The woke wouldn’t exist if they didn’t have access to billions of dollars. Of your taxpayer dollars (thanks to politicized issue-funding, like global warming). And billions of donations directly to woke organizations. Like BLM, Antifa, and any number of woke organizations and chapters.

Scott Shepard’s Free Enterprise Project has teamed up with other organizations to form the Boardroom Initiative. Spearheaded by former McDonald’s CEO Ed Rensi, who has said companies have “no business” being in politics.

“Corporations have no business being on the right or the left because they represent everybody there and their sole job is to build equity for their investors.” – Ed Rensi, former McDonald’s CEO

That is straight out of Milton Friedman who said essentially the same thing. The business of business is to create value (profits) for their shareholders.

Tune in to hear Scott’s battle with woke boards at major corporations. Disney is just the most-well-known example as the woke board just lost some 60 billion in shareholder value. Think there won’t be lawsuits…?

And in the wake of the leaked ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade, that could see federal protections for abortion removed, some major corporations are already lining up to be Death Corporations.

Maybe zombies is the right term after all.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Vance Day, Candidate for Court of Appeals Position #3

Scott Shepard

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

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

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.

Authoritarianism Happening Around the World – Will it Happen Here?

Authoritarianism Happening Around the World – Will it Happen Here?

Show Summary: We are witnessing global authoritarians resist the great push back. People are done with covid mandates, pushing back at never-made-sense masks and more. In Canada, the Freedom Convoy was met with Gestapo style tactics, exposing the lengths authoritarians will go to keep their power. Now Russia tramples Ukraine’s borders and sovereignty. Can this come here? What still protects us? What makes us different than places like Canada, which has it’s own Charter of Rights?

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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 26th & 27th, 2022 | Guest: Jonathan Emord

This week it’s all about the authoritarianism we are seeing on display in on other countries — Canadian police trampling citizens and freezing bank accounts of people who weren’t even at the freedom protests but merely supported them from afar; Russia trampling on Ukraine’s sovereignty, and even here in the U.S.

Could these happen here?

Possibly, but it will be much harder — thanks to, once again, the wisdom and foresight of our Founders. Top Constitutional attorney, Jonathan Emord, tells us why America really is that shining beacon of freedom.

Jonathan Emord has quickly become one of our top, most-frequent guests. Be sure to check out his previous appearances.

Authoritarianism: Two Must-Read Books

If you only have time to read two books this year, read these:

Jonathan Emord’s The Authoritarians: Their Assault on Individual Liberty, the Constitution, and Free Enterprise from the 19th Century to the Present. You will learn about Marxist/socialist/communist ideology and how took root in America in the mid 1800s and became the justification for slavery. Also, how it continued to spread and flourished until it has now sabotaged our Constitutional republic as designed.

And Disinformation by Lt. Gen. Ion Pacepa and Ron Rychlak. Ion Pacepa The highest-ranking Soviet bloc intelligence official ever to defect to the West, and he was the head of the Soviet disinformation campaign.

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Links & Further Info

Restoring America: How Our National Holidays Tell Our Story

Restoring America: How Our National Holidays Tell Our Story

Show Summary: This week, it’s about rediscovering America, with Scott Powell, who authored the book, Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are.

Looking for the links mentioned during the show? Click this to jump to the links section.

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Original Air Dates: February 12th & 13th, 2022 | Guests: Scott Powell

Rediscovering America

This week it’s about rediscovering America. Scott Powell’s new book,  Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are.

Rediscovering America - Scott Powell
Available now!

This show looks at how we got to America’s present condition (hint: Marxists) and a look at how we start to climb out of this (hint #2: we need to remember why America is worth fighting for). Scott Powell has been a fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and is currently senior fellow at Discovery Institute.

We discuss how America has fallen — and how we do we get it back? Would the Founders recognize the chaos of today? After all, they fought off their own tyranny. Although that was the King, an ocean away; not right here in the halls of our own government.

David Horowitz: “Scott Powell has made a major contribution in the research and writing of Rediscovering America, providing substantive reason for hope and confidence in the midst of troubled times. It may be the first book written in the history genre that lays out the progressive and redemptive course that is America’s greatest legacy.”

Why has America Lost Its Way?

We also talk with him about how our rapid material success as a country was not equaled by a similar and equal rapid progress in spiritual or social progress. This is very much a spiritual war we are going through, not just one of laws and regulations and elections.

And why aren’t the checks and balances—so carefully crafted by our Founding Fathers—not working right now?

“This book was written to defeat the enemies of our republic by equipping readers from all walks of life to get connected to the character and accomplishments of their forebears and the arc of redemption that defines our history. Prior generations of Americans who shared a similar greatness of moral vision and believed in the beauty of freedom and equality sacrificed their all that this nation might be protected, guided, and healed. We are called to do no less.”

We also talk corruption and abuse of power rather than institutional or constitutional failure, are the chief causes of decline in America today, and what you can do to help fix this.

Be sure to tune in — it was such an interesting discussion that we plan to have him back around Easter.

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Links & Info

Be sure to order Scott Powell’s book, Rediscovering America. It is available March 8th, 2022, but you can pre-order it today.

Why Oregon Needs Real School Choice | Marc Thielman

Why Oregon Needs Real School Choice | Marc Thielman

Show Summary: Marc Thielman, superintendent of Alsea School District (the only school to stay open all through the 2020 covid lockdowns), Republican candidate for Oregon governor, and chief petitioner for real school choice in Oregon. He joins us to talk about just why school choice is so needed in Oregon.

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Original Air Dates: December 18th & 19th, 2021 | Guest: Marc Thielman

This week: Marc Thielman, superintendent of Alsea School District (the only school to stay open all through the 2020 covid lockdowns), republican candidate for Oregon governor, and chief petitioner for real school choice in, joins us to talk about why it’s so needed in Oregon

School Choice? Real School Choice? In Oregon? Wait, What…?

Yes. It’s true. Oregon just might get school choice. Thanks to on again, off again, covid lockdowns that follow whatever pops into Governor Kate Brownshirt’s head.

“Trust the science” has been one of the most persistent lies over the last two years. If you dare question the science, you’re ridiculed and labeled ‘misinformation.’ That’s not how science works. That’s not even how trust works. It is the business of science to question science. Instead, you’re told to shut up and put your mask on. Because our science says so.
– Mark Anderson

This week, we talk with Marc Thielman, who is chief petitioner on the ballot initiative to bring real school choice to Oregon. This ballot initiative would allow parents to put their children in a school of their choice. Whether that’s another public school, a charter school, home school, or a “micro school” — a modern-day version of an old-time, one-room schoolhouse.

Why Real School Choice is So Needed

Just to give people an idea of why school choice is so important, the Corvallis School District thinks math is racist. Or that teaching math is racist. Or, perhaps what they really think is people of color aren’t smart enough to get math, so they need to hold White kids back? Really? So they are dumping all kids, regardless of skill or competency, into the same class. No more advanced classes. No more slower track classes. Everyone will be forced into the same mold. Because everyone must be the same. Or at least not allowed to be different. And certainly not excel. Because that would be racist. 

Imagine being a secondary school coordinator being this woke and not realizing how incredibly racist this sounds:

“I was able to walk into classes and identify whether they were a low or high track math class just based on the color of the students’ skin.”

So. What happens if a Black kid excels at math? Is it fair to hold them back and discourage them from excelling? Gosh. The problems you create when you see racism in everything. (Psst! That makes you the racist.)

How Real School Choice in Oregon would Work

Technically, parents have school choice. Sort of. The way it works now is the State “allows” parents to take their kids elsewhere to another school. But. They are punished financially by having to pay extra expenses (in addition to the taxes they already pay) for doing so. While their current school keeps all the money. That’s not real choice. (Although, it is a bit like the government saying, “Oh, we’re not forcing you to take the vaccine. But we’ll make sure you lose your job if you don’t.”) As it is, 100% of the public funds allotted to that child stays with the public school district the child is currently assigned to that child—regardless of where the child ends up. 

The current system means only rich people get to have school choice. They’re the only ones who can afford the extra expenses.

The way Real School Choice works is a portion of the public funding dollars already attached to a child goes with that child wherever the child goes. This truly opens the door for parents to put their child in the school that is the best fit for their child.

Tune in to hear the rest of the details and why Real School Choice is SO important for Oregon parents right now.

Yes, Virginia, Oregon is promoting Critical Race Theory. And that’s not even the worst of it.

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.

Links & Info

  • UK Study on kids 23%:  COVID rules are blamed for 23% dive in young children’s cognitive development: Disturbing study shows scores in three key cognitive tests slumped between 2018 and 2021, with face mask rules among possible culprits (UK Daily Mail, Nov 26, 2021)
    • New study by Brown University found face masks and other social distancing measures may in fact impede on children’s development*A whopping 23 per cent drop in IQ equivalent scores since the start of the pandemic
  • Corvallis School District changes the way it teaches math because math is racist or something (Gazette Times, Dec 13, 2021)
    • As a result of these changes, more parents started enrolling their children in private school, hiring tutors or homeschooling, at least according to the critics.
    • YES → “I think we’re going to further create inequalities by doing something like this because families with resources are going to do what they need to do,” Jesse Wegner said, “as opposed to having those equitable resources at school for everybody.”
    • Which is WHY you need school choice.
  • Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules Mask Mandate For School Children Is Illegal (DJHJ Media, Dec 12, 2021)
    • “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday made a ruling to remove a mask mandate for school children that was put into place by the Tom Wolf administration.”
    • “In June, the state legislature voted 31-19 (62%) in the Senate and 121-81 (60%) in the House to remove his emergency powers for COVID.”
    • “The state’s high court upheld a lower court’s ruling that Alison Beam, the state’s acting health secretary, did not have the authority to issue a requirement for masks, didn’t follow state legislation regarding establishing regulations, and acted without a “required” existing disaster emergency declared by the governor in place.”
  • Marc Thielman’s gubernatorial candidacy website is marcfororegon.com
  • ‘Ritual humiliation’: Unvaccinated children put in front of classroom (WND Dec 12, 2021)
    • “Some schoolchildren in Germany have been asked each day to go in front of their class and state their vaccination status, resulting in applause for some and scorn for others.”
    • “The children who are unvaccinated, he said, must explain to their classmates why they are not.”
  • California Schools Phase Out D and F Grades (Moonbattery, Dec 12, 2021)
    • What they’re really concerned about is how this makes bureaucrats look. 

Further & Related Info

  • The US spends more on education than other countries. Why is it falling behind? (UK Guardian, Sep 7, 2018)
    • “[U.S.] Spending per student exceeds the OECD average but the likes of Finland and South Korea get better results. What are they doing right and what can the US learn from them?”
    • According to the Organization for Economic Coordination and Development, “In 2014, the US spent an average of $16,268 [per year, per student] to educate a pupil from primary through tertiary ([college)] education… well above the global average of $10,759.”

 

2021 Year in Review: Democrats’ Political Boneyard | Hope for 2022

2021 Year in Review: Democrats’ Political Boneyard | Hope for 2022

Show Summary: Our year in review: as bad as 2021 has been, it turns out it was the year of proving the Right was right. Lockdowns to mandates to passports, Russia collusion, CRT and so much more — they weren’t conspiracies. Will Oregon reject democrats in 2022? Listen to hear about the monkey wrenches democrats are tossing in the gears to sabotage Oregon.

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

Original Air Dates: December 11th & 12th, 2021 | Guest: State Senator Dennis Linthicum

This week: Senator Dennis Linthicum (OR SD-28) joins us for our year in review as we  look back at 2021 and take a look ahead at 2022.

A Year in Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Democrats

Last week we talked with Alek Skarlatos about the democrats’ gerrymandered congressional districts. This week we look a little deeper. Yes, the democrat gerrymandering is a problem but there is another monkey wrench they threw in the elections gears in 2021.

Actually, it’s more of a sledgehammer.

Be sure to check out the resources below for more info on China’s social credit score system democrats want to bring to the U.S. If you thought CRT was bad…

We also look ahead at 2022 and the challenges ahead. There are some great Republican candidates for governor. And, yes, there is a potential monkey wrench there too. Betsy Johnson. While she would be a far better democrat candidate than the ultra far left Tina Kotek or the so-called “moderate” carpetbagger Nicholas Kristoff, she’s running as an independent. Not a democrat.

That says a lot, doesn’t it?

Because she must not believe an independent-minded blue-dog democrat can win in Oregon. At least not get the win in the democrat primary. How will a third-party candidate impact the race? Split the votes and ensure a democrat win? Or split the democrats and let a Republican slip by?

We also look ahead to 2022. What are some of the key issues for Republicans to run on and attract both non-affiliated voters. And even democrats? Here’s a hint: we talked about one of them last week.

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.

References & Further Reading

China’s Social Credit Score

  • Video: China ranks ‘good’ and ‘bad’ citizens with ‘social credit’ system (France 24, YT channel, May 1, 2019)
  • China’s social credit system spreads to more daily transactions (Brookings Institute, June 18, 2018)
    • “China has stated that all 1.35 billion of its citizens will be subject to its social credit system by 2020, and travel restrictions for low-scoring citizens is only one of many to come.”
    • “…a poor Chinese social credit score can lead to bans from travel, certain schools, luxury hotels, government positions, and even dating apps.”
  • Chinese Social Credit Score: Utopian Big Data Bliss Or Black Mirror On Steroids? (Forbes, Jan 21, 2019)
    • “…government agencies and private companies are collecting enormous amounts of data about e.g. an individual’s finances, social media activities, credit history, health records, online purchases, tax payments, legal matters, and people you associate with in, addition to images gathered from China’s 200 million surveillance cameras and facial recognition software.”
  • China’s new ‘social credit system’ is a dystopian nightmare (NY Post, May 18, 2019)
    • “Not only are you publicly humiliated in the ticket line, you are then forced to travel by slow train. What should have been a three-hour flight becomes a 30-hour, stop-and-go nightmare. All because the government has declared you untrustworthy. ”
    • “A low social credit score will exclude you from well-paid jobs, make it impossible for you to get a house or a car loan or even book a hotel room. The government will slow down your internet connection, ban your children from attending private schools and even post your profile on a public blacklist for all to see.”
  • UK Study on kids 23%:  COVID rules are blamed for 23% dive in young children’s development: Disturbing study shows scores in three key cognitive tests slumped between 2018 and 2021, with face mask rules among possible culprits (UK Daily Mail, Nov 26, 2021)
    • New study executed by Brown University found face masks and other social distancing measures may in fact impede on children’s development
    • A whopping 23 per cent drop in IQ scores since the start of the pandemic

2021 Year in Review: the Right was Right