Democratic Perspective » Podcast Feed

Defeating Hate. Democratic Perspective welcomes Randy Parraz back to the show to discuss his new book, Dignity by Fire: Dismantling Arizona’s Anti-Immigrant Machine. Parraz is the activist who organized the successful effort to recall Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce, author … Continue reading →

Assessing The Biden Administration. Steve and Karen welcome historian, author, and friend of the show, Dan Singal, for his thoughts on President Biden’s actions so far. He responds by saying, “Well, surprised more than anything because I think he really … Continue reading →

Drawing A Line Between Private And Public Interests. Steve Williamson welcomes Donald Cohen, co-author of The Privatization of Everything. How the Plunder of Public Goods Transformed America and How We Can Fight Back. Over a period of decades, special interests … Continue reading →

A Warning For Democrats From Flyover Country. The Midwest and rural America are often thought of as unimportant. Yet, thanks to the Electoral College, rural voters have an undue influence on national politics. And, increasingly they vote Republican. Partly, that’s … Continue reading →

Fighting For Freedom of Religion And A More Inclusive America. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Laser begins by noting that Americans United has been around for almost … Continue reading →

A Golden Age For Our Economy. Steve Williamson welcomes back macroeconomist Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Build Back Better bill, and their potential impact on inflation. Baker … Continue reading →

The Danger Of Online Gossip. Steve Williamson welcomes back Democratic Perspective sponsor and contributor, Steve Segner, to discuss the impact of social media in Sedona. One of the most controversial is Nextdoor which ironically bills itself as “an app to … Continue reading →

Prioritizing People Over Corporations. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Lauren Kuby to Democratic Perspective. Kuby is a Tempe City Councilmember who is running for a seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission along with current incumbent Sandra Kennedy. If elected, … Continue reading →

The Complexities And Frustrations Of City Management. Steve and Guest host Karen McClelland welcome Sedona’s Deputy City Manager, Joanne Keene, to discuss what the city can and can’t do to address common complaints and the city’s most pressing issues. They … Continue reading →

“We Must Not Be Enemies.” That is the title of Michael Austin’s latest book based on a quote taken from President Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address. “Lincoln understood that disagreement drives democracy,” says Austin. “So how we disagree becomes really, … Continue reading →

Filling The Need With Food And Shelter. Hava and Steve welcome Laurie Moore and Kathy Wozniak to the show to discuss their approach to helping those who are unsheltered and food insecure. Moore is president of the Sedona Area Homeless … Continue reading →

Prioritizing Lives And Democracy Over The Filibuster. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome back Max Richtman, President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, to discuss the pending Human Infrastructure bill which is at the heart of … Continue reading →

Replacing Misinformation And Fighting With Dialogue. Democratic Perspective host Steve Williamson welcomes Steve Segner, hotel owner and president of Sedona Lodging Council, to discuss changes in the City of Sedona. Segner begins by announcing an upcoming panel discussion on short-term … Continue reading →

Workers Priced Out Of Sedona. Steve Williamson welcomes Linda Martinez and City Council member Jessica Williamson to discuss a long-standing problem for Sedona – affordable housing. According to Williamson, affordable housing is defined by income based on a household spending … Continue reading →

Fighting The Good Fight. Back from an extended vacation, Steve Williamson welcomes John Lutes and Jay Ruby to the show. Lutes is chair of the Yavapai Democratic Party, a business owner and manager who ran for Yavapai County Supervisor against … Continue reading →

A Master Class On Sedona And Arizona Schools. Guest host Karen McClelland, a former school board member, is joined in the studio by Sedona-Oak Creek School District Superintendent Dennis Deardon and Sedona Red Rock High Junior, Hunter White. Faced with … Continue reading →

Holding Police Accountable. As the next in our eight-part of our series on criminal justice, Hava welcomes attorney Julie Gunnigle to discuss the DOJ investigation of the Phoenix Police Department and a variety of other civil rights issues. Gunnigle begins … Continue reading →

All Things Elections. Guest host Kathy Kinsella welcomes Yavapai County Recorder, Leslie Hoffman, and Elections Director, Lynn Constabile, to discuss election procedures and election security in Arizona. In a few minutes, these experienced professionals explain everything you need to know … Continue reading →

The Importance Of Stewardship. Democratic Perspective co-host Hava welcomes Donna Michaels to discuss her first six months in office as a Yavapai County supervisor. She begins by noting that stewardship is the key to a healthy community. To that end, … Continue reading →

Philosophy And Climate Change. Filling in for Steve and Hava, Holli Ploog welcomes Matthew Goodwin, PhD to the show. Goodwin is a professor at Northern Arizona University, founder of Sedona Philosophy and an activist for addressing the climate crisis. He … Continue reading →