Tag: endangered whales

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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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 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)
13-46 Economy or Environment, Bad Government is a Whale of a Mess

13-46 Economy or Environment, Bad Government is a Whale of a Mess

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Show 13-46 Summary: A blast from Oregon’s past, the national debt continues to blow up, and story from right here in Oregon about how bureaucrats are throwing themselves on the grenade of success. Plus, environmentalists have traded saving whales to killing them – as long as they get their billions of dollars. And those offshore windmills may not be as green as they’re made out to be.

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: November 18th & 19th, 2023 | Guests: Jonathan Williams & Terry Johnson

This Week – Economics and Wind Farms

We start off this week’s show with a look back to Oregon’s “Exploding Whale” story. It’s as good a metaphor as anything for the state we find ourselves in. As in the general state of affairs but, yes, state of Oregon too.

Why? Because the exploding whale is a great example of bad ideas by government officials that make a bad situation even worse. And, yet still worse, government officials with those bad ideas don’t get fired. They get promoted up the ladder.

Where in reality does this make sense?

Bidenomics

We welcome back a good friend of I Spy, ALEC’s chief economist Jonathan Williams. With the US House once again passing a continuing resolution or “CR” to keep the government open, we see our national debt soar. Jonathan discusses the deficit and debt and why there’s a lot of hope of finally getting our government’s spending addiction under control with the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson, who is a former member of ALEC from when he served in the Louisiana House. There is also the matter of Moody’s downgrading the U.S. credit rating with our treasury sales taking a big hit. And a story from right here in Oregon of government throwing itself in the way of prosperity.

Because in Lane County, a factory originally built for $1.6 billion by Hynix, a chip maker, has been sitting idle for 15 years. Now, Stratacache wants to open it to make micro-LED screens (the kind you see as menu boards in fast-food restaurants) and will hire 100s of employees. They were even given a $19 million from the State of Oregon to get going. But Lane County is blocking them. Because they are demanding $2 million property taxes.

Can you believe this? (Well, it’s Oregon, so yes. Yes we can.) Three hundred workers at an average of $40,000 each is $12 million dollars of taxable income. Every year. But that bureaucratic whale-exploding mindset has taken over and they’d rather blow up the deal. Sacrifice $12 million to get $2 million. That’s government.

Hint: empty buildings produce nothing.

CFACT: Save the Whales

Who had “conservative organizations sue the government to protect endangered whales” on their 2023 bingo card? Anyone?

Decades ago, environmentalists — the real ones, not today’s latte crop — fought to save the whales. They would risk their lives to put their boats and rafts between whales and the harpoons of whaling vessels.

But that was then. Now there is 100s of billions of free taxpayer cash to be had. What’s a few endangered whale deaths when you can be given billions. If you support the green agenda. And offshore windmills that aren’t green.

What’s that you say? Windmills not green?

We talk with Collister Terry Johnson, a senior policy advisor about their fight to stop offshore wind farms. CFACT sent the government a 60-day notice of intent to sue. This is a legal requirement, giving the federal government time to correct a mistake or rule violation. In this case, violating the endangered species act by plopping all these wind farms off shore. Right in the middle of whale migration areas. Including the Right Whale, which is highly endangered with only about 350 of them left.

If the government fails to take action within the 60-day window, CFACT and The Heartland Institute, will sue. And this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications. Not just stop the Virginia offshore wind, which it’s aimed at. But even shut down existing wind farms.

These wind farms that only exist because of billions of those taxpayer dollars. But, it turns out, a new study has been released that shows that these offshore wind farms may not be “carbon neutral” after all. In fact, they may be putting more CO2 into the air than they help prevent.

Whoops. There goes the whole point of their existence in the green energy sphere.

We only learned about the study the morning of our interview. But you can bet we’ll dig into it in a future show. You can read it here: How Offshore Wind Drives Up Global Carbon Emissions.

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.

Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Jonathan Williams’ Segments (1–3)

  • Jonathan’s organization is ALEC – the American Legislative Exchange Council. Find out more at ALEC.org.
    • Encourage your representatives to join ALEC! There are state and city memberships. Help elected officials understand economic problems and the real solutions available to get out of them! Send them this link: https://alec.org/membership/. And you too can join as a private-sector member!
  • Romney and Manchin Call for Commission to Stabilize US Debt (Yahoo News, Nov 9, 2023)
    • How very brave of two people who are leaving the senate.
  • Oregon income inequality grew again in 2021 (KLCC, Nov 13, 2023)
  • Salem payroll tax failing by large margin (Statesman Journal, Nov 7, 2023)
    • A citizen’s group forced Salem’s proposed tax on the ballot.  When people can actually vote on the outrageous they vote it down.
  • Oregon awarded millions to reopen a Eugene tech factory; a property tax fight could stand in the way (OregonLive, Nov 5, 2023)

Terry Johnson Segments (4–6)

  • CFACT issues “intent to sue” over offshore wind, releases new study (CFACT, Nov 14, 2023)
  • THE STUDY:
  • Collister (Terry) Johnson on “Joe Thomas in the Morning” shreds Dominion’s wind project (CFACT, Oct 12, 2022)
  • Repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), Latest  News: Release Of Second Video and Calling For Investigation (Repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act, No Date)
  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Demonic’ off-shore wind farms are blamed for New Jersey whale deaths: Former SNL star reveals ‘green energy companies’ are sending ultra-loud blasts into water every 10 seconds that make mammals think predators are chasing them (UK Daily Mail, Nov 15, 2023)
  • Oregon tribes push back on offshore wind (Bend Bulletin, November 11, 2023)

Moody’s Downgrade of US Credit

  • Uh oh. Moody’s turns negative on US credit rating, draws Washington ire (Reuters, Nov 10, 2023)
  • Moody’s downgrades US debt rating outlook to negative (The Economic Times, Nov 11, 2023)*“Due to interest rate hikes by the US central bank to curb inflation, the cost of debt for the United States has ballooned, with Washington paying $162 billion more for interest in the last fiscal year compared to 2022.”

Worst Bond Market: Fewer Buyers Willing to Buy US Debt

  • 2022 was the worst-ever year for U.S. bonds. How to position your portfolio for 2023 (CNBC, Jan 7, 2023)
  • 2022: “The Worst Bond Market Ever: By history’s standards, stocks have not performed too badly, but bonds certainly have.” (Morningstar, Nov 21, 2022)
  • Government Bubble Burst: Treasury bond investors have been taking a historic beating. (Wall Street Journal, Oct 18, 2023)
    • “Although most of our national debt was issued when interest rates were low, that debt is quickly rolling over into a high-rate debt environment, and further borrowing continues. Without corrective action, interest costs could total more than $13 trillion over the next decade and $1.9 trillion per year by 2033.”
  • The collapse in Treasury bonds now ranks among the worst market crashes in history (Markets Insider, Oct 5, 2023)
    • Since March 2020, Treasury bonds with maturities of 10 years or more have plummeted 46%,  while the 30-year bond had plunged 53%.
  • Dreadful Treasury Auctions May Continue As Buyers Evaporate (Seeking Alpha, Nov 10, 2023)
    • “The 30-year Treasury auction on Nov. 9 was horrific. It saw one of the widest high-yield to median yield spreads since 1990 as the indirect acceptance rate plunged.”
  • The $24 Trillion Problem Haunting Wall Street (NY Intelligencer, Oct 18, 2023)
    • “When Wall Street sizes up the world’s risks, one way traders make their bets on the future is through the market in U.S. Treasuries.”
  • Demand for 30-Year Treasuries Proves Weak, Sending Yields Surging (Wall Street Journal, Nov 9, 2023)
    • “Primary dealers, big banks who are obligated to finance whatever portion of a Treasury auction isn’t purchased by other investors, bought nearly a quarter of the issuance. [That’s] more than double their average in recent 30-year auctions.”