Category: School Choice

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

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

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

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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.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

The Shemia Fagan Scandal

 

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

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

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

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

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

This Week – Oregon Democrats: Killing Democracy

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

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

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

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

Monthly Legislative Update with Sen. Dennis Linthicum

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

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

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

You know. Just like the Nazis.

Oregon Democrats: Stealing your Kicker Refund

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

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

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

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

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

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

That Oregon Business Climate Survey

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

Not discussed but you might find interesting…

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

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

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

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

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

This Week – The Wrong Kind of Power

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

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

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

What’s Needed: Education Freedom in Oregon

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

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

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

Marc Thielman on Education, School Choice, and Election Integrity

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

That’s like Stalin advising Chairman Mao.

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

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

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Mark Anderson speech to CCRW luncheon - How Republicans can win in 2024 by facing the brutal facts
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

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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.

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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 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.”
13-09 Insane Government Spending – 2023 Essential Policy Solutions

13-09 Insane Government Spending – 2023 Essential Policy Solutions

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

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

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

This Week – Government Spending. It’s Insane.

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

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

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

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

Government Spending: 2023 Essential Policy Solutions

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

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

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

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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

Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

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

Additional Related Research, Not Specifically Mentioned

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

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

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

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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

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Links mentioned during the show

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

Additional School Choice Info and Related

 

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

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

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

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

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

This Week – So Much for Equality

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

Hint to democrats: discrimination is discrimination.

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

The Biden Administration: Killing Title IX

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yikes.

Parents’ Rights Part 4: Choosing a New School

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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

More Info on Title IX

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

More Info on Choosing a School

 

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

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

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

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

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

This Week – Real School Choice

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

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

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

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

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

Real School Choice Defined

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

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

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

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

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

Our Guest: Robert Enlow of EdChoice

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

This didn’t happen over night.

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

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

Real School Choice in Oregon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oregon Centric

  • Kotek proposes spending $765M (Register Guard, Feb 1, 2023) Increases school budget
  • Portland School District announces hiring freeze due to dwindling enrollment (Pamplin Media Feb 1, 2023)
    • Portland  lost 3,000 students from 2020 to 2022. The district said its “dramatic, unprecedented enrollment decline” isn’t over. It expects to lose about 500 more students next year. But despite fewer students, “Superintendent Guerrero, along with leaders from other Oregon districts, are calling on state leaders to pour more money into public school funding. ”
  • See our previous shows on this topic, including the referendum movement for 2024 if the legislature ignores Oregon parents. These show pages have additional links and info.
  • Parents Rights in Education (Oregon and other state chapters)
Parents Rights in Education I Spy Radio Show Interview. What can parents do? What rights DO they have?
13-03 Are Parents an Endangered Species? — Parents Rights in Education

13-03 Are Parents an Endangered Species? — Parents Rights in Education

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Show 13-03 Summary: There is a constant attack on kids these days. Especially in our public schools. But what can parents actually do? What rights do they have? And how is the system finding ways to get around and even take away those rights? This week it’s all about parents rights in education. We talk with Suzanne Gallagher, the director of Parents Rights in Education, about the attacks on kids and the very real dangers parents face when they try to exercise their rights. And what parents can do if they suspect there are problems in their child’s school.

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: January 21st & 22nd, 2023 | Guest: Suzanne Gallagher

This Week – Parents Rights in Education

You can’t be on social media these days and not see attacks on our kids in public schools. We’re not talking physical attacks. Although there are plenty of those too. We’re talking about adult teachers pushing adult issues on kids. Trying to recruit and indoctrinate and normalize their own sexual beliefs by pushing them on kids. It’s everywhere. Well, everywhere except the mainstream media, which seems to want to do all they can to hide it.

Although “the media” is more than giddy to attack parents who want to stop it. As is the federal government as Merrick Garland designated parents who stood up to the woke agenda, “domestic terrorists.”

Yet one more reason not to listen to the mainstream media. And instead listen to alternative, independent media. (Like I Spy Radio, of course. And if you can’t listen live, find it on your favorite podcast platform.)

Parents Rights are Under Attack

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled repeatedly that parents are the highest authority and ultimate arbiter when it comes to their kids. And how they should be raised and what they should be taught. But parents rights are under attack more than ever. Especially if a parent dares to stand up, speak up, or stand against the woke agenda and ideology.

Tune in this week to hear just how bad things are. We know about teachers and even school counselors pushing sexual orientation, transgender, and more at kids. We talk real cases and examples of what parents are facing as some school administrators and teachers see their woke agenda having a higher priority than a parent’s rights to raise their children as they see fit. And some are threatened with having their kids taken away if they disagree.

We talk with Suzanne Gallagher, the director of Parents Rights in Education about the battlefield for children, who the main enemies are, and how we got here. And what parents can do to stand up and fight back.

Be sure to check out the tools and resources for parents in the Links & Additional Info Section below. And catch Suzanne’s Parents Rights in Education podcast to stay up to date and challenges facing parents to protect their kids

It’s been astounding to see how quickly the woke perverts in the classroom have exposed themselves. These are kids. Kids! That means not adults. Leave them alone. Focus on education. And when they become adults, they can deal with adult issues. Until then, just leave them alone.

Tune in and find out about your parents rights in education. And the resources you need if it comes to it.

And don’t hoard the information. Share this page and its links and info with the other parents in your life.

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

  • Suzanne’s organization is Parents Rights in Education. Look for the resources at the top of the page. Federal law, state chapters, and how to deal with school boards.
  • If you suspect there are problems or already have them — be sure to contact them! They want to help and can guide you through the issues. Don’t feel overwhelmed. Feel empowered!
  • Parents Rights in Education also has a network of partners. If you need legal help, don’t wait.
  • Don’t need help now? Or maybe you’ve experienced these problems in your own life? And want to help other parents avoid them? Support the cause with a donation. Even just $12 a month would be awesome.
  • Concerned about parents rights? Especially parents rights in education? Follow along and stay up to date with the issues on Suzanne’s podcast