Tag: spending

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

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

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)

 

 

14-44 Final Sprint to Election Day | Truth about Trump v. Kamala Economies

14-44 Final Sprint to Election Day | Truth about Trump v. Kamala Economies

Show 14-44 Summary: It’s the final sprint to the finish line. And the Friday before the election Kamalanomics got some pretty bad news: only 12,000 (not a typo) jobs created in October. And another 112,000 jobs were erased from September and August because they never existed outside of their original headlines that screamed how great the jobs were. This week, we talk with chief economist and executive VP of American Legislative Exchange Council about Trump vs Kamala economic policies. Who has the better economic record, the better administration policy to grow the3 economy, and what their future economies will look like. Kamala is floating some spooky ideas on taxes, spending and debt. And we talk about Trump’s policies that has the Big Spender spooked and why. Get out there and vote like your future and America’s future depends on it. It does.

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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, seven times over the weekend, 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 our network of stations.

Original Air Dates: November 2nd & 3rd, 2024 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week – Truth about Trump vs Kamala Economic Policies

October Surprise? ~The October jobs numbers just came out this morning at a paltry 12,000 new jobs. That’s not a typo. There isn’t a zero missing. Even more bad economic news: they erased another 112,000 jobs from the two previous months, September and August. Jobs that never existed outside the leftstream media propaganda headlines.

Just 12,000 new jobs for all of America (and we’d be negative if not for 40,000 government jobs). It’s a devastatingly low number for the Biden/Harris administration and after Kamala said there’s nothing she’d change regarding Biden’s policies.

Did you miss it? I Spy host had an article published in American Thinker: “The One Overlooked Reason Christians Should Vote in 2024.” Please share that with any reluctant Christians you know that are thinking of not voting.

Oh. And the GDP came in low. A sluggish 2.8%. Lower than the usual 3.0%.

This week, we welcome back Jonathan Williams, the chief economist and executive vice president of the American Legislative Exchange Council, to compare and contrast the Trump economy vs the Kamala economy. What were their records. What did they do right. And how will they differ if elected?

Kamala is floating some spooky ideas about taxes, spending, and debt. And Trump is floating some ideas that is spooking the big-government big-spenders. Listen and find out.

Personally? The difference really comes down to this: Trump wants to grow the economy. Kamala wants to grow government. It really is that simple.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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

Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • 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!
    • You can follow Jonathan on Twitter at @TaxEconomist.
  • Head to Rich States, Poor States to see how your state is doing. And for a taste of what Kamalanomics and Walzonomics would be like, check out how badly Minnesota is doing under governor Tim Walz. (Hint: worse than Oregon!)
  • Check out Trump’s platform, “Agenda 47.” A 20-point plan, much of which focuses on the economy.
  • Mike Johnson discusses plan to get rid of Obamacare. (Via X, Oct 31 2024)
  • 3 Charts Show How Biden-Harris Admin Grew Debt by $8 Trillion (Daily Signal, Oct 22, 2024)
  • Five Frightening Financial Charts To Fear This Halloween! (ZeroHedge, Oct 31, 2024)
  • Jobs Shock: October Payrolls Huge Miss As Private Jobs Go Negative For First Time Since 2020 (ZeroHedge, Nov 1, 2024)
  • U.S. economy grew at a 2.8% pace in the third quarter, less than expected (CNBC, Oct 30, 2024)
Oregon’s Gurgling Drain | Never Ending Spending

Oregon’s Gurgling Drain | Never Ending Spending

Show Summary: If you haven’t been paying attention, the Democrats are running amok with your money. Find out their plans and how—and why—Oregon is sinking to the bottom in state competitiveness. Perhaps it has to do with their never ending spending spree? Actually, it’s a bit more than that.

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Air Dates: May 20 & 21, 2017 | Rep. Knute Beuhler & Jonathan Williams

This week we’re looking at the never-ending spending spree of the Oregon legislature.   We’re already facing a $1.8 billion hole and, naturally, that pushes the D’s to try and find new and inventive ways to tax Oregonians.  Like letting the camel get its nose in the tent, they are trying to find new ways to push a sales tax while calling it something else.

If you haven’t been paying attention, you’ll be shocked to hear what the Democrats are doing and looking to spend — despite being in the hole already. Do Oregon legislators think they have a bottomless checkbook?

Democrats Obama and spending
Years of democrats and their spending spree have doubled our national debt

That’s the question we discuss with our guests.  First up is Rep. Knute Buehler, Bend, OR, a fiscal conservative who has problems with the spending that he has seen at the legislature.  Right now, Oregon has enough Republicans on board to stop the Democrats from passing a spending bill but it’s tight with only a one vote margin of error.  Listen to find out what we can expect on taxes and debt coming out of this legislative cycle.

Then we talk with Jonathan Williams of ALEC to find out what states are fiscally under control and maybe even growing their economy compared to those who are doing it wrong.  There are some surprises, except for Oregon, which has slipped in the rankings once again.  Tune in to find out why and what we could do to right the ship.To use this, copy all, use “add new” button at the top, paste. Be sure to set tags & categories. And to reset “this week” in the menu to this post

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