Tag: politics

Thanks Democrats! Oregon’s Train Wreck

Thanks Democrats! Oregon’s Train Wreck

Show Summary: After a decade of one-party rule (just like China!), Oregon is headed for a financial train wreck. From the disastrous Obamacare-Kitzcare deal to insurance companies fleeing the state to state agencies on a spending spree  to counties going bankrupt. And despite this, one particular segment of health care has billions in profits—at taxpayer expense.

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11:00AM Saturday: KUIK (Portland) | KBKR (Baker City) | KLBM (La Grande)
7:00PM Sunday: KAJO (Grants Pass)

Air Dates: April 30 & May 1, 2016 | Lisa Lettenmaier & Scott Jorgensen

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Oregon is in a world of hurt thanks to Democrat policies. Brace yourself for the coming train wreck.

We start off by talking with Lisa Lettenmaier of Health Source NW. Lisa is our “in house” expert on the insurance industry and the broader aspects of health care. She has been following the disastrous (for consumers) roll-out of Obamacare and its ugly stepchild, Oregon’s Health Care Transformation.

Tune in to hear her shine the light on Oregon’s insurance industry and why customers can expect to see huge rate increases in the next year.  There are some parts of the healthcare industry that are benefiting from Obamacare but it’s not the insurers as they face steeper and steeper declines in revenues.  Oregon has lost two more insurers in Oregon and another one on a national level.  Listen as we unpack the reasons they are leaving the state and what’s happening behind the scenes.

Oregon and Its Free-Spending Ways

Scott Jorgensen, the chief of staff for State Senator Whitsett, then joins us to share insights into the consequences of government attempting to push policies that force expensive programs (think Medicaid without federal funding).

The Oregon Democrat Leadership’s answer is to continue to raise taxes to pay for the spending spree.  Ask most Oregon voters and they’ll tell you that by our own state constitution we’re supposed to have a balanced budget; which, to many, means we don’t spend more than we take in. Well, not under Democrat leadership. It’s “balanced” because we borrow huge amounts to make it balanced.

Tune in to hear how much every man, woman, and child—all 4 million of us—are on the hook for under this new model of funding Oregon’s government.  And guess what? It’s only going to go up. Did you know we borrow money against Oregon Lottery Revenue? Talk about a gamble!

Related Links

 

Why Trans Pacific Partnership is a Bad Deal for America

Why Trans Pacific Partnership is a Bad Deal for America

Show Summary: The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal is Obama’s final nail in America’s coffin. If you thought Obamacare and the Iran Deal were bad, you haven’t seen anything yet. In an explosive interview, we dive into why it’s bad and why our Congressmen vote for such atrocities. And not just why but who is supporting this? Plus, could one of the presidential candidates, who publicly says he’s against it, might actually be for it?

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11:00AM Saturday: KUIK (Portland) | KBKR (Baker City) | KLBM (La Grande)
7:00PM Sunday: KAJO (Grants Pass)

Air Dates: Apr. 16 & 17, 2016 | Crista Huff (former Morgan Stanley VP

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One of the questions we consistently try to answer here on the I Spy Radio Show, is why. Why does a government agency do this or why does a politician do that? But uncovering “why” requires digging deeper into motivations and a lot times those motivations are hidden away, lurking in the shadows where you don’t know what happened behind closed doors or what’s been promised.

On this week’s show, we’re talking about the monstrosity better known as the TPP – the Trans Pacific Partnership. This is Obama’s magnum opus for weakening America. And it must be stopped. The TPP is a major trade deal involving 12 Pacific Rim nations, including the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Vietnam and others. China is not a signer, yet, because after the agreement is signed China can come in later through a back door.  Why, do you ask? Oh, you’ll find out why.

Trans Pacific Partnership = Anti-American

It’s amazing that anyone who calls themselves an American is backing this agreement. Foremost it represents a stunning loss of U.S. sovereignty.  But beyond that, common economic sense says this will harm the US economy–especially given that even its own supporters say it will result in only a 0.13% increase in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product by 2025. (See links, below, for citation.)

But even that less -than-rosy projection is based on the assumption of the U.S. being at full-employment. (How’s that worked out the last seven years?) So why take a huge gamble and throw our economy into upheaval for not even 1/50th of a percent increase per year over nine years?

It boggles the mind why would anyone in the U.S. support this. And not just why, but who is supporting this? Tune in to learn the answers, including whether one of the presidential candidates might be misrepresenting their position on the Trans Pacific Partnership. And find out why, if this goes through, it really could be the end of America as we know.

Links Mentioned During Show

  • Crista Huff’s terrific website, Good Fellow, LLC. Be sure to check out her fantastic TPP blog page, frequently updated with the latest info
  • Check out Crista on Kerry Lutz’s Financial Survival blogtalk podcast
  • If you want to stop the TPP, CALL the Capitol Switchboard! (202) 224-3121. Ask to be transferred to your Congressman’s office and tell them you want them to vote no on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal; do the same for both of your senators.
  • The Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee is Rep. Kevin Brady (TX).
  • Article via Drudge: New Balance publicly calls the TTP a bad deal (Apr 13, 2016)
  • Robert Zoellick and The Trilateral Commission and Robert (via FreedomWorks’ SourceWatch)

Related Links

We’re impressed with a number of articles from Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). Here are a few of them:

 

Brokered Convention and Klamath Dams Update

Brokered Convention and Klamath Dams Update

Summary: Politicians love to get elected; they just hate having to turn to voters to do it. And on this week’s show we look at how politicians use procedures and rules to subvert the will of the people, whether you’re talking about a Republican Presidential brokered convention or something like removing the dams on the Klamath River.

When, where, and how to listen – all stations stream live!

Air Dates: Apr. 09 & 10, 2016 | Lawrence Kogan & Greg Leo

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We have a split show for you this weekend, although in some ways they’re tied together because both halves deal with procedures and rules. Let’s flashback to 2010. Obamacare was stalled in Congress because despite a special election where voters in Massachusetts elected a Republican to replace Ted Kennedy, who had passed away, the Democrats put their heads together and came up with a procedural gimmick to “deem it passed”.

It is these types of insider tricks that so many people find distasteful. The voters of Massachusetts, had spoken yet the politicians believed they knew better and found a way to override the voters.  Right now, there are two similar issues happening.

First the environmentalists’ effort to take out the Klamath Basin dams is once again rearing its ugly head. The earlier agreements to remove the dams had expired because Congress refused to fund them — the voters had elected a Republican Congress and that should have been the end of it.

But the environmentalists and far left politicians are back. Not only were two new agreements once again hashed out behind closed doors and out of the public’s eyes, they’ve already been signed. We’ll talk about the new agreements with Lawrence Kogan, the attorney representing the Klamath Irrigation District. Tune in to hear some of the underhanded gimmicks used to put them together, and who was involved — including a certain, well-known billionaire.

Brokered Convention

The other issue is the Republican presidential race, where, if one of the candidates does not have 1,237 candidates it will go to a “brokered convention.”  To people outside the process, this is the unseemly side of politics, the proverbial peek behind the curtain. But people who have chosen to get involved rather than sit on the sidelines understand that these are the rules of engagement — so if you’re a candidate, you better learn to navigate them.

We talk with Greg Leo on the hot topic of navigating the uncertain waters of a brokered convention. Tune in to hear why both of the leading candidates, Cruz and Trump, may not want to head into the great unknown — and some solutions open to them.

Links Mentioned

Related links

Illegal Immigration and Border Security — How Politicians are Failing

Illegal Immigration and Border Security — How Politicians are Failing

On this week’s show, we’re talking illegal immigration — and all the problems that come with it: border security, safety, drugs, kidnapping, and perhaps even some treasonous actions by the Obama administration.

When, where, and how to listen

Air Dates: Mar. 12 & 13, 2016 | Caren Cowan & William Gheen

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If there’s one area of law that federal, state, and local governments ought to have down pat, it’s immigration law. Each level of government working hand in glove with the next—especially seeing how they’re all responsible for (in theory) for enforcement. And all we see is either sheer incompetence or obstinate unwillingness to enforce laws. Not new laws no one has ever heard of before, existing laws that have been on the books for decades.

And yet both the democrat and republican parties have failed to solve an issue that the vast majority of Americans want to solved: a safe and secure border and new immigrants coming here legally.

But they’re failing. And putting American citizens in danger. Why are they so willing to do so?

Border Security

Our first guest, Caren Cowan, is the Executive Director of the New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association. What led us to Ms. Cowan was the report on Drudge of a ranch hand getting kidnapped by drug runners from Mexico, who beat him up, and then forced him to guide them to Arizona with their load of drugs. As a result of this latest kidnapping, the New Mexican ranchers called a meeting in Animas, NM, to demand answers from elected officials. With rising media attention, politicians from border states were effectively shamed into attending.

We also talk with Caren about the ranch hand’s kidnapping, the lackluster response by politicians, the impact of NM giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses, and what it’s like to live in an area where politicians fear to tread.

ALIPAC on Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration and border security - will a wall work?Up next, we speak with William Gheen, President of ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration PAC)—the nation’s largest super PAC fighting for legal immigration. Tune in to hear how the Obama administration is sabotaging legal immigration and actively promoting illegal immigration, to the point of risking security and safety for American citizens.

Will a wall work?

We also discuss a rising problem in states like California and Oregon: the attempt to give illegal citizens a right to vote. In Oregon, despite more than 60% of voters rejecting the legislature’s plan to give illegals a drivers license, a group of illegals are suing the State of Oregon, alleging their “Constitutional rights” are being violated. What?

ALIPAC Endorses Donald Trump

For the first time in its history, ALIPAC has also endorsed a presidential candidate: Donald Trump. While ALIPAC thinks both Trump and Cruz have the best approaches to immigration, tune in to find out why they chose to endorse Trump over Ted Cruz. (Hint: it has to do with last week’s show.)

You’ll also learn:

  • How New Mexico overturned the former governor’s awarding of driver licenses to illegal immigrants—and the impact licenses had on elections
  • Why this presidential race is having a negative impact on down-ballot politicians
  • How European-style border policies are playing a behind-the-scenes role in US politics
  • Why the word “treason” is not too far off to describe what the Obama administration is doing with watch lists, and not enforcing illegal immigration laws
  • Why uniting the Republicans is more critical than ever

Links Mentioned

Related Links

Canada’s Experiment with Socialism (Part 2 of the Allure of Socialism)

Canada’s Experiment with Socialism (Part 2 of the Allure of Socialism)

Air Dates: Feb 27 & 28, 2016 | Dr. Tim Ball

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I Spy Radio continues to do what the Republicans ought to be doing: focusing on the Democrats. Especially their lurch toward outright Socialism. With either winner, the Democrats will have a socialist as their nominee. It will either be Bernie Sanders, who is an avowed socialist, or Hillary Clinton, an Undeclared Socialist.

With socialism being around as long as it has, there’s still the myth in every generation who thinks, “But this time it will work!”  Even though it has had resounding failures wherever it’s been tried.  Folks like Bernie and Hillary points to countries like Sweden or Finland as examples of “success.”

What they fail to mention is that Sweden or Finland are only becoming more successful because they purposely moved away from socialism to adopt more elements of capitalism.

Denmarks-socialismThink of it like a balance or teeter totter; whenever you give government all the rights, and therefore your decisions, you’re taking the rights and decisions away from the individual.  The reverse, freedom, is also true. By giving affirming the rights of the individual, it takes power away from the government.  So, the notion that you can somehow give away all of your rights and control over to government while still retaining personal freedom is a logical inconsistency.

The myth of socialism still hangs on

So to prove our point of why it can’t work, we go back to Canada and talk with Dr. Tim Ball and find out the realities of living in a socialistic country.  Listen as Dr. Ball talks about his personal experiences living in socialized Canada, including the loss of freedoms, opening a new business in a socialist country, and living in the so-called “ideal” (socialized) health care system.

What you’ll learn is this: If Canada is Bernie’s and Hillary’s “utopia,” they can keep it.

Relevant Links

Dr. Tim Ball’s books:

  • Slaying the Sky Dragon: The Death of the Greenhouse Gas Theory
  • Human Caused Global Warming: The Biggest Deception in History
  • and The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science.

 

The Allure of Socialism – Why we keep trying this historic failure

The Allure of Socialism – Why we keep trying this historic failure

Socialism’s seductive spell has tripped up many “smart people” including Einstein. Usually right up until reality sets in. Eating the rich only makes everyone poorer.

Original Air Dates: Feb 20 & 21, 2016 | Dr. Tim Ball

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Despite the repeated, historic (dare we say “epic”) failures of socialism, every generation since the 1800s seems to flirt with this proven failure. Every generation seems to think, “This time we’ll make it work.”

Socialism: willingly giving up your liberty and freedom for government-provided security.
Jail: unwillingly giving up your liberty and freedom for government-provided security.

This week on I Spy Radio, we talk with Dr. Tim Ball, who knows all about socialism. He grew up in World War II England, witnessed the takeover of society by the government to “fight the war” only to have England embrace the “security” offered by socialists. In other words, basic subsistence in exchange for government domination and takeover of private industry. As a young man, witnessing the demise of his fellow countrymen’s freedoms, he left for Canada. Unfortunately, elements of socialism followed him to his new country.

Exposing Socialism

Hitler - "We are socialists, we are enemies of the capitalistics economic system...with its unfair salaries... and we are all determined to destroy this system under all conditions"This week, we get an exposé on socialism from someone who’s lived through it and even taught classes on it. With Bernie Sanders rising in the polls, it’s time to get a little intelligence on socialism. This week, we’ll look at the rise and development of socialism and, yes, the Nazis were socialists. Modern-day Leftists try to depict Nazis s extreme Far Right, “ultra conservative” or even the end-game of capitalism. “Nazi” meant “National Socialists.”

But why does the notion of state-imposed fairness, continue to appeal to us as a developed society?

Here in Oregon, where I Spy broadcasts from, the House just passed the nation’s highest minimum wage to create “fair” wages. Remember, from our show two weeks ago, under socialism it’s the State that determines not only what’s moral but what is “fair.” But if you think that’s scary, check out the links below on “basic income” and “universal income.”

And be sure to join us next week where we’ll get Dr. Ball’s personal experiences of living with socialism, including Canada’s socialized medicine and even martial law.

Related Links

  • Canada’s new prime minister interested in a European style “basic income
  • Video: European socialists now pushing “universal income” – no work required

 

50 Test Tubes of Competition and Democracy

50 Test Tubes of Competition and Democracy

Air Dates: January 30 & 31, 2015 | Jonathan Williams (ALEC)

When, Where, and How to Listen

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States are in constant competition for people and businesses — with businesses leaving high tax states and people voting with their feet. Find out why Socialism and “Tax Cronyism” drive people away.

One this week’s show, we give Bernie Sander’s voters a headache.

Over the past ten years New York State has lost millions of residents and thousands of businesses that had all had it with NY’s high taxes and moved to other states.  They’ve moved to find a better place to live where owning a business or property isn’t suffocated, to where they didn’t have to feel like they were being held up at gun point by their own state.

Funny how that works, isn’t it? Our entire history is one of moving to better economic conditions. Leaving the “old country” for the chance to make a better, more profitable life. Moving west on the Oregon Trail or the California Gold Rush. People are not chained to their states — and the moment they feel they are, they move.

Bernie Sanders voters don't understand economicsWhile Bernie Sanders’ voters may not like to think about economics or the consequences of raising taxes, there are 50 states that all have their own sets of economic policies that have consequences, of action and reaction. And shrewd consumers of democracy can make decisions on where and how they live based on a free market principal—competition is good because it reduces costs and drives efficiency.

In their 8th Edition of Rich States, Poor States, Jonathan Williams and his co-authors, Dr. Author Laffer, and Stephen Moore have once again captured how states make their economic decisions and the consequences of those policy decisions.  Policies that impact your pocket book and quality of life and that should influence who you’ll vote into office.

Tune in to find out:
•    What drives a state’s economic success or failure
•    Tax Cronyism and how it ruins free markets
•    Can states or the federal government be run more like a business?
•    Which states have changed their liberal ways to create a strong, pro growth environment

With state and federal elections coming up soon this is a show not to miss.

Links Mentioned

Related Links

Presidential Primaries – A Primer

Presidential Primaries – A Primer

A President Cruz and a Vice President Clinton?

Air Dates: January 23 & 24, 2016 | Greg Leo

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With so many candidates running in the Republican primary there have been discussions within the media that there won’t be one candidate who wins enough electoral votes for a clear majority, which would trigger a “brokered convention.”  Right away supporters of various candidates, and some candidates themselves, were saying this was a set up and that their candidate would be disenfranchised from a fair selection if the process was turned over to “political insiders” or the “establishment” to make the final choice.  But what’s the reality?

And if you think politics is messy now, you won’t believe how they used to do it.

Caucus vs. Primary: Process and Differences

Also, we’re less than 10 days away from the Iowa Caucus, the true, official launch of the presidential primary. This week, we take a deeper look at the entire process of electing a president, the historical context, how the process has evolved, and we’ll examine the shadier side of political conventions in terms of what has happened and what could happen.

On this Week’s Show, You’ll Learn About:

  • How our Founding Fathers originally conceived presidential election, and the uniqueness of our American system
  • Why parties were created
  • Why and when conventions and primaries began
  • How the primary system works and how it has changed over the years
  • The modern-day elements of a caucus versus a primary vote and whether a “ground game” is as important as pundits claim
  • What exactly is a “brokered convention” and the chances of one happening in 2016

And if you don’t think your vote doesn’t matter just remember the highest turn out in a general election, ever, was just 63% of the voting age population.  Even more alarming the average voter turnout for a primary has recently averaged about 22%.

Find out how to make your vote count — and why it could matter, even if your candidate doesn’t win.

Links

 

Is the Oregon Militia Standoff in Burns Oregon Helpful?

Is the Oregon Militia Standoff in Burns Oregon Helpful?

The “Oregon militia” standoff at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, outside of Burns (Harney County) continues and we turn to Stewart Rhodes of Oath  Keepers and Rep. Ken Ivory to analyze the deeper, broader issues at stake.

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Air Dates: Jan. 16 & 17, 2015 | Stewart Rhodes & Rep. Ken Ivory (UT) | When, Where, and How to Listen

However, let’s be clear: the so-called Oregon militia is not a militia in the true sense of the word. In fact, “Oregon militia” members aren’t even from Oregon. Instead, they’re outsiders from Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and (God help us) California.

This is especially odd. The so-called “Oregon militia” are themselves outsiders. Unwelcome outsiders. Outsiders who are there to protest lack of local control. Do the so-called Oregon militia members not see the irony here?

Is this about the issue of public lands or about the militia members themselves?

The So-Called “Oregon Militia” in Burns

When they first showed up, the “Oregon militia” claimed they were there to support the Hammonds, a couple of local ranchers who had been convicted of arson. To prove their point, they seized control of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Except the Hammonds wanted nothing to do with the so-called militia. So next, the Wildlife Refuge Occupiers claimed they were there to protest the federal government and their refusal to turn state lands over to the states. This group of Occupiers from Montana, Arizona, Nevada, and California, now say they won’t leave until the lands are given over to local control.

We talk with Stewart Rhodes, president and founder of Oath Keepers, about the standoff, what he knows about the leaders of the “militia” and his thoughts on the FBI’s handling of this. Could there be agent provocateurs among the militia? Are the militia heroes or interfering?

And then we talk with Rep. Ken Ivory about the larger issue of the transfer of federal lands to the states.  We talk with Ken about whether the “protesters” are helpful or hurtful and what impact they might have on the larger issues. Instead of an armed conflict, what else could they have done? Plus. what are some of the latest developments in the transfer-public-lands movement, including legal and economic findings that support the effort.

The Oregon Militia: Unanswered Questions

One question that will be very interesting to watch as this continues to unfold will be this: are all the members of the “militia” who they claim to be? There have already been incidents of undercover FBI agents in the area (see links below). Why? Could this whole situation an effort to undermine the transfer public lands effort?

To reassure the people of Oregon—the real ones—Harney officials County law enforcement should verify identifications as each “militia” member leaves the compound.

Links

Illegal Immigration, Paris Attacks, and Amnesty Supporters

Illegal Immigration, Paris Attacks, and Amnesty Supporters

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Air Dates: Nov 21 & 22, 2015 | William Gheen (President of ALIPAC)

When, Where, & How to Listen

Paris Attacks and Illegal Immigration – An End to Amnesty?

Pro-amnesty and pro-illegal-immigrant factions want to make the issues of borders and immigration about race or discrimination and “diversity.” But borders are about unity, not discrimination. They are an agreement about who should be here—because they want to be Americans, because they share our vision of the future. America is not great because of diversity; it is great because diverse people came with a unity of purpose.

Sadly, there is probably no policy that Washington DC has managed to mess up more than immigration. Which, considering DC’s track record, is a rather dubious accomplishment in and of itself.

In any event, the issue of immigration, which began to heat up with Donald Trump’s “build a wall and make Mexico pay for it” early in the presidential race, has now reached fever-pitch with the terrorist attacks in Paris last week.

And even after the Paris attacks, more revelations of ill-intended “immigrants” and refugees have come to light with recent revelations that Syrian “refugees” have tried to sneak across the Texas-Mexico border. And still others have been already been caught:  with falsified documents and passports — in Honduras (were they headed north for Mexico and on into the U.S.?); Muslim immigrants have been caught in Ohio with forging equipment to name a few. Are these coming to light now only because the media is suddenly paying attention to the Syrian refugees and the larger issue of illegal immigration?

We speak with William Gheen of ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee) about the current state of American immigration policy. ALIPAC played a prominent role in taking out Eric Cantor, one of Obama’s pro-amnesty soldiers. We’ll discuss ALIPAC’s “Cantor List” (Obama’s biggest amnesty supporters in our Congress), and what do Americans believe actually about immigration? Or illegal immigration? ALIPAC has access to actual, scientific polls about Americans’ beliefs on immigration, amnesty, and deportation. The results may surprise you. And a lot of politicians, who only seem to listen to the “news polls.”

With the recent attacks in Paris, this is no longer just who we let in but a matter of safety as well.

Links Mentioned

Related Links