Tag: diversity equity and inclusion

Institutionalized Incompetence. USAID, DEI, and Oregon's Unemployment. Thankfully, at least some of the stupid is ending.
15-06 Paying for Institutionalized Incompetence – In More Ways than One

15-06 Paying for Institutionalized Incompetence – In More Ways than One

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Show 15-06 Summary: This week we look at institutionalized incompetence with two examples. One, is more than 16 years of incompetence at Oregon’s Employment Department, which has been bungling its unemployment system. And seems unable—or unwilling—to fix it. Why? Because we’ve learned to tolerate incompetence. And since no one is fired, nothing is done. Then we look at institutionalized incompetence on the federal level. DEI. Which not only infects the federal government but like a virus has infected state and local governments, schools, and private companies. But wait, it’s worse than you thought.

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Air Dates: February 8th & 9th, 2025 | Guests: Lisa Lettenmaier and Donna Jackson

This Week – Institutionalized Incompetence

The hard fact is, when it comes to institutionalized incompetence, we’ve learned to tolerate it. We’ve become used to stupid. Conditioned to accept inadequate. And, worse, to accept corruption as “that’s just the way it is.” See the brewing USAID scandal. (Something we talked about way back in 2017). 

But USAID is only the very tip of the iceberg. We are fraudulently spending billions, even trillions, on things like Climate Change. And “green” energy. The issue is not the spending. The issue is the institutionalized incompetence that authorized the spending in the first place. That is what needs to change. And, thankfully, President Trump is starting to do that.

We’ll come back around to the incompetence behind USAID when more is known about it. But here’s something to think about. The real incompetence here is the Republicans in Congress. USAID fraud and funding leftwing ideology and pet projects of politicians has been happening for decades. Did the Republicans not know about it? And why did they keep voting for it? Either way, that is sheer incompetence. Again. Thank God for President Trump.

Institutionalized Incompetence – Two Examples

First up, we talk with long-time guest, Lisa Lettenmaier. Usually, we talk with Lisa about some new stupidity in the health care system. (Now there’s a whole ‘nother stream of institutionalized incompetence.) But this week, we talk to her about her letter to Oregon’s Employment Department, the media, and state  and federal legislators about the infuriating problems two of her friends experienced trying to get unemployment. Weeks of runaround, endless hours on hold, no answers, and no help.

Don’t forget, this is an insurance they paid into. That we all pay into. But when you need it most? And this is the “fixed’ system that took the people in charge of updating the computers and software. But it is still broken. As we said, society has become used to stupid.

But, the good news is, some institutionalized incompetence is being fixed. On his first day in office, as promised, President Trump signed executive orders ending DEI. That’s divRemove featured imageersity, equity, and inclusion. Or institutionalized racism. We talk with Donna Jackson about how incredibly important ending DEI is to the Black community. You know. One of the communities it is supposed to help. Tune in to hear how it not only is not helping, it is sabotaging the Black community and Black school children.

Gosh. It’s almost like democrats want a permanent minority underclass. Otherwise known as slaves. Democrats haven’t changed since they lost the Civil War.

Oh. And don’t miss Donna weigh in on the USAID scandal. You’ll love hearing what an accountant has to say about it.

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Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Lisa Lettenmaier’s website is HealthSourceNW.com
  • Oregon moves forward with long-awaited Employment Department software upgrade (`)
  • Computer Upgrade Triggers Problems for Oregon Unemployment (Government Technology, March 14, 2024)
  • Donna’s organization is CFACT.org 
  • Project 21 members on the end of DEI: Rolling Back DEI Rewards Black Americans Instead of Crippling Them (Project 21 Commentary, Jan 27, 2025)
    • Donna Jackson: ”President Trump’s executive order ending federal DEI initiatives is the right move for Black America. … DEI programs were never designed to benefit black Americans. In fact, within the DEI industry, 76% of DEI professionals are white while less than 4% are black. Equity wasn’t even practiced within the DEI profession.”
  • Heritage Foundation Experts Analyze Trump’s Executive Orders (The Daily Signal, January 22, 2025)
  • Check out Donna’s recent article on Daily Caller – “Trump Cabinet Nominee Plans On Taking Sledgehammer To Homeownership Prices” (Daily Caller, Jan 26, 2025).
  • Video on X: Prior to the 2024 election Donna Jackson discusses the  straw that broke the camel’s back: illegal immigration (X.com, via Dustie Dahl, October 14, 2024)
    • “Something has changed and I am receiving MORE phone calls from ‘Elite Black Liberals’ than I am from Conservatives. Illegal Immigrants are getting ahead of BOTH black & white Americans economically at the hands of the Democrat Party.”
  • EYE ON THE TARGET: Major Corporation Turns on Woke and the LGBTQ Mafia (The Daily Signal, January 24, 2025)
  • Thomas Sowell Warning about DEI (Thomas Sowell TV, Feb 3, 2025)
  • Donald Trump’s ‘DEI Firestorm’ (Victor Davis Hanson, via Daily Signal YT Channel, Feb 5, 2025)

 

 

14-12 Conservatives on Offense | The Right Things for the Right Reasons

14-12 Conservatives on Offense | The Right Things for the Right Reasons

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Show 14-12 Summary: Conservatives on offense means conservatives doing the right thing and for the right reasons. First up, we talk with Scott Shepard of the Free Enterprise Project about Apple’s viewpoint discrimination (meaning conservatives) and FEP’s shareholder proposal to expose the issue. Remember Apple’s Big Brother ad? Turns out they’ve become Big Brother—even their own “reeducation camps.” Then it’s Craig Rucker Executive Director of CFACT and their lawsuit to save whales from the Biden administration. Conservatives suing to save whales? While the Far left is willing to let them die on the altar of green energy? Who had that on their bingo card? Two conservative groups going on offense.

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Original Air Dates: March 23, 2024 | Guests: Scott Shepard & Craig Rucker

This Week – Conservatives on Offense

We love it when conservatives stop sitting there and taking whatever the Left throws at them. When conservatives go on offense, it brings others to the cause. Especially when they are doing the right things for the right reasons.

First, we talk to Scott Shepard from the Free Enterprise Project. Their mission is to push back on woke corporate America. They learned that Apple does not protect its workers against viewpoint discrimination. In fact, they found out that Apple actively discriminates against workers who don’t share Apple’s woke worldview. And it gets worse. Tune in to hear what happens  once Apple finds out workers don’t share their woke vision.

So last month, the Free Enterprise Project filed a shareholder resolution to expose the issue. And you can guess how Apple’s board reacted. but he fight’s not over yet.

If you own shares, you can vote on shareholder resolutions. Put Big Tech and other woke companies on notice. Get the Proxy Navigator app from the Free Enterprise Project, America’s leading organization to fight the woke disease infecting corporate America. Join other conservatives on offense. Learn more at ProxyNavigator.com.

Kill the Whales

Who would ever have imagined a time when conservatives fighting to save endangered whales because “environmentalists” are willing to sacrifice them on the altar of green energy? Well, when sacrificing a few hundred whales means your ideological side could get tens of billions of taxpayer dollars perhaps it’s not a surprise.

But wait, aren’t conservatives and capitalists supposed to be the greedy ones? Conservatives on offense to save whales. We love it. And they’re doing it for the right reasons. Not like the greedy environmentalists willing to sacrifice whales to get billions of taxpayer dollars. There’s the real greed.

Craig Rucker, executive director of Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) joins us to discuss their lawsuit against the Biden administration. CFACT had some great winds against offshore wind farms in 2023. They successfully derailed offshore wind farms in New York and New Jersey. And they’re fighting to stop the planned wind farm off of Virginia Beach. Right in the middle of whale migration paths.

Tune in to hear how the Biden administration is ignoring laws in their agenda to push wind farms. And they’re happy to sacrifice endangered whales to push billions of taxpayers into the Far Left’s pockets.

And that even has grassroots environmental groups scratching their heads. What happened to the Left’s rallying cry, “Save the whales!”?

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Scott Shepard’s Segments 1–3
Conservatives on offense against woke corporate America

  • Press Release: Apple Refuses to Protect Employees from Viewpoint Discrimination (Free Enterprise Project, Feb 29, 2024)
  • Check out the horrid scores of woke companies on the Viewpoint Diversity Index.
    • “Each company’s score indicates their level of respect for free speech and religious freedom based on policies, practices, and other relevant criteria.”
  • Find out more about the Free Enterprise Project and the great work they do. Sign up for their newsletter to stay informed on woke corporate America.
  • Get Free Enterprise Project’s Proxy Navigator at proxynavigator.com available at the Apple store, Google Play, or as a web app.
    • “Proxy Navigator offers voting recommendations from the Free Enterprise Project (FEP) for each company that FEP covers in a living and breathing app that will receive regular updates as information evolves. A terrific new tool to remind users of what shareholder votes are coming up and to put our latest recommendations right in front of them, exactly when they need them.
    • “But that’s not all! Proxy Navigator will also offer many features to give it year-round value to investors and market followers, including a stock ticker and news aggregator to make Proxy Navigator a one-stop app for tracking investments.”
  • Washington State Supreme Court: Passing bar no longer required to be a lawyer (Just the News, Mar 21, 2024)

Craig Rucker’s Segments 4–6
Conservatives on offense to save endangered whales

  • Coalition sues to block Virginia offshore wind project to protect the Right Whale (CFACT. org, March 18, 2024)
    • “The lawsuit … claims the agencies illegally approved Dominion Energy’s offshore wind project by ignoring glaring and obvious procedural errors that subjects the endangered North Atlantic right whale to further grave harm.”
    • The Heartland Institute and National Legal and Policy Center are co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit
  • The Reuters smear: “Right-wing groups sue US over offshore wind impact on whales” (Reuters, March 18, 2024)
  • Did you miss Craig’s last appearance on I Spy Radio, discussing their wins against the Far Left? Head to Show 14-01.

Additional Info

  • From Capitalism To Corporatism (Zero Hedge, Mar 20, 2024)
  • The 1792 Exchange (1792exchange.com)
    • “1792 Exchange is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization whose mission is to develop policy and resources to protect and equip non-profits, small businesses and philanthropy from “woke” corporations, to educate Congress and stakeholder organizations about the dangers of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policies, and to help steer public companies in the United States back to neutral on ideological issues so they can best serve their shareholders and customers with excellence and integrity.”
  • Europe Swings Right: Socialists face setbacks across the globe, and Joe Biden could be next. (American Mind, March 12, 2024)
  • How the Left Was Left: Old-time liberals would not recognize the doctrine that speaks in their name (American Mind, March 19, 2024)
13-38 Get Educated – School Choice, Woke in Corporate Boardrooms

13-38 Get Educated – School Choice, Woke in Corporate Boardrooms

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Show 13-38 Summary: This week, it’s about getting an education – and pushing back on the woke society is pushing on us. In our school systems and pushing back on woke corporations, like Disney, that think they know better about what society needs than what we Americans think. But what happens in those board rooms? And just how much power do activist shareholders have — who want to make a company go woke or, conversely, stop a company going woke? We also catch up with the effort to get real school choice on the ballot here in Oregon. And how a terrible personal accident has reignited the effort.

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

Original Air Dates: September 23rd & 24th, 2023 | Guests: Donna Kreitzberg and Scott Shepard

This Week – Get Educated on Woke

This week, we are talking about woke in the corporate boardroom. And its negative impact on a corporation’s share prices and profits. So why do they do it? And when it comes to going woke even when it hurts shareholders, there is no better example of Bob Iger’s transformation of Disney and marching to the Left’s ideology. And did he set up his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek — only to swoop in and clean up the mess he himself left?

But first, we talk about real school choice. We catch up with Donna Kreitzberg to hear how things are going to get real school choice on the ballot for Oregon’s 2024 general election. Education Freedom for Oregon just came through their summer events. So how did they do? How far along are they in their petition drive?

Have you signed one yet? Head to this link to download a signature form — then print it, sign it, and and mail it back.

We also wanted to talk to Donna because she recently had a horrible accident, that required her to be life-flighted out of the Montana wilderness. Hear how this personal tragedy has reignited her passion to get this on the ballot and to help kids get out from schools where they feel trapped.

And did you know real school choice will not only help kids trapped in bad schools but it can help free teachers too. Tune in to find out how.

Get Educated: On Woke Corporations and their Boardrooms

The Supreme Court recently overturned affirmative action as a gate for higher education. But what impact with that ruling have on woke corporations and their DEI initiatives? DEI being “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” DEI also being Leftist codespeak for, “exclude people who don’t share our political ideology.”

Yes, Bud Light gets the attention when it comes to “go woke, go broke.” But Disney is the true leader when it comes to going woke. Think about it. Did Bud Light ever have the pro-family, pro-America reputation that Disney once had. And Disney is now actively pushing a woke, transgender ideology at kids. Bud Light isn’t exactly pushing their products at kids.

Woke for thee but not for me. Disney reports DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusiveness for its employees but not its own board members or executives
Disney’s DEI for employees—but not the board? (click image for full size). Source.

We talk with Scott Shepard, the director of the Free Enterprise Project, which is the original and premier opponent of the woke takeover of American corporate life. Disney is back in the news as its revenues continue to crater, losing money on woke, box office flops, and bleeding Disney+ subscribers. And even at its parks, its one source of profits, attendance is down.

Could it be because they’re pushing transgender at kids even at their parks? Nah! Couldn’t be that!

We also talk with Scott about a broader view of corporations and their boardrooms. If, say, an activist shareholder wanted to take a corporate woke, could they? Just how much power do they have? Or what if a shareholder wanted to protect a pro-America company from an activist board?

You never knew corporations and free enterprise could be so interesting and entertaining.

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

Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Donna Kreitzberg’s Segments (1–3)

Scott Shepard Segments (4–6)

Articles from National Center and the Free Enterprise Project
Disney’s Corporate Wokeness
Bob Iger: Determined to Take Disney to Ideological Ruin
  • Disney CEO Bob Iger: Marvel Diluted Audience’s Focus and Attention by Making So Many Disney+ TV Shows (Variety, excerpt via Slashdot.ord, July 17, 2023)
  • Bob Iger Reveals His Master Plan to Restore the Magic at Disney (Bloomberg, Feb 9, 2023)
  • Bob Iger Isn’t Having Much Fun: Eight months after returning as Disney’s CEO, he is straining to put out fire after fire, including streaming losses, an activist investor and TV woes (WSJ, July 14, 2023)
  • Is Bob Iger screwed up at Disney because of woke content, the removal of Disney+ content, and the possible sale of Lucasfilm? (David Mullich, via Reddit, June 15, 2023)
  • Politicization of Disney Gives Bob Iger Path to White House (Real Clear Politics, May 14, 2022)
    • Iger is (or was) considering a run for the presidency.
  • Bob Iger Lambasted For CNBC Comments About Strike: “He Came Out Of Retirement To Make $54 Million In Two Years And Says This” (Deadline, July 13, 2023)
    • One tweet: “Hollywood writers, on average, are paid $69,510 a year. Bob Iger is paid $74,175 a DAY.”
  • Disney Is in a Death Spiral and I Don’t See Bob Iger Reversing It (The Street, July 14, 2023)
    • A marked decline in attendance for Summer 2023 at Disney World and Disneyland
    • “According to boxofficemojo.com, Disney only has three of the top 10 grossing films thus far in 2023.”
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