Category: Environmentalism

14-34 Oregon’s New Redistribution Scheme: The Climate Protection Plan

14-34 Oregon’s New Redistribution Scheme: The Climate Protection Plan

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Show 14-34 Summary: Oregon’s latest wealth redistribution scheme, Governor Kotek’s Climate Protection Plan, is a plan to solve to solve nothing. It is a carbon cap and trade scheme forcing to pretend to cut carbon dioxide emissions. It will have no impact on climate. Zero. None. But it will cost Oregonians millions more every year. In higher food prices. Higher utility bills. And any goods that are shipped and delivered will also cost more. It’s also a plan that Oregonians have directly and indirectly rejected three times before. So why are they doing it?

Be sure to scroll down to the show notes section for the links to submit your comments and tell them no.

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Original Air Dates: August 24th & 25th, 2024 | Guest: Chuck Wiese

This Week – Oregon’s Climate Protection Plan

This week’s show is a big one — discussing Oregon’s latest scheme to redistribute wealth: the Climate Protection Plan.

The CPP will force a carbon cap and trade program on Oregon’s businesses, which will impact many things you buy and need. Apparently, Governor Kotek and the democrats think that you’re STILL not paying enough on food and utilities, let alone all the other aspects of your life that will be impacted.

This Climate Protection Plan is a scheme that Oregonians rejected directly by turning down a ballot initiative. They rejected it indirectly through their legislature, which wouldn’t pass the bill. And a third time after Governor Brown’s executive order establishing it was tossed by Oregon’s Court of Appeal. Why? Because in her authoritarian zeal to force her belief system on Oregonians, they failed to meet public meeting laws. In fact, the court said the governor and DEQ didn’t appear to even try to meet the public meeting laws.

But the nation’s worst governor, Tina Kotek, (she came in 50th out of 50 in a recent survey) is trying to resurrect it. The DEQ is taking public comment on it right now. And you need to weigh in.

Take action! Head to the Climate Protection Plan page at the DEQ, then scroll down to the public involvement section. If you already know you’re a “no” then submit your comments on Oregon’s CPP by emailing Nicole Singh: cpp.2024@deq.oregon.gov

We interview meteorologist Chuck Wiese to discuss how this CPP will cost Oregonians millions — to solve a non-existent problem.

Climate Protection Plan: the Pretend Solution to an Imaginary Problem

Bad data leads to bad information. Bad information leads to bad decisions. And that’s the foundation of Oregon’s Climate Protection Plan. Chuck Wiese walks us through why the climate change (aka “global warming”) scaremongering is simply wrong.

The whole foundation of Climate Change is that CO2 is warming the Earth and that mankind’s carbon dioxide contribution is causing the warming. Except it’s a wrong idea based on bad information that is based on bad data. And now Oregon’s politicians are forcing a solution to a non-existent problem.

The non-existent problem is that Oregon’ puny CO2 emissions, even if entirely eliminated, is so small (we’re talking hundredths of a percent) that it would make no difference. At all. Especially since China is busily increasing its emissions more than Oregon could possibly cut.

Their solution? A carbon cap and trade scheme. It’s a scam. See the show notes section for lots of information on carbon credits and cap and trade schemes and how they do nothing to fix the “problem” of carbon emissions. As one article says, “Ultimately, carbon credits incentivize the buying and selling of carbon credits, rather than reducing the amount of pollution companies produce. Shell is a classic example of this; the company now has a very lucrative business line of creating and selling carbon credits.”

Yes. It’s all about money. Bilking industries out millions of dollars and redistributing it. Especially to far left environmental “non profits.”

Carbon Dioxide as the Fake Enemy

It’s simple. If Democrats and environmentalists and the far left we’re truly serious about carbon and carbon dioxide they would do a far, far better job of force management. Trees need and suck in carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Instead, the Democrats and environmentalists and the far left refuse to do proper forest management. They refuse to cut timber. and what happened? Millions of acres have burned putting all that carbon and CO2 back into the atmosphere not to mention all that soot and particles that they claim to worry about.

Tina Kotek’s Department of Forestry literally just took some 57% of Oregon’s forests offline because of their Habitat Conservation Plan. They are not at all serious about carbon dioxide. So don’t listen to them when they lie to you and claim that they care about carbon dioxide.

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Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Take action! Head to the Climate Protection Plan page at the DEQ, then scroll down to the public involvement section. If you already know you’re a “no” then submit your comments on Oregon’s CPP by emailing Nicole Singh: cpp.2024@deq.oregon.gov.

Oregon State has valid reasons for opposing Elliott forest carbon-crediting scheme (Oregon Capital Chronicle, Aug 20, 2024)

Actually, it’s the DEQ misleading people: “Oregon DEQ says NW Natural is misleading people on state climate program” (OregonLive, Aug 20, 2022)

Learn about carbon credits and cap and trade schemes

  • Great video—good info and simple to understand: Carbon credits are a complete scam (Auto Expert John Cadogan, YouTube Channel, Jan 9, 2024)
  • Exposing the Carbon Credit and Offset SCAM (Belinda Carr, Apr 20, 2022)
  • Carbon Credits Are the Biggest Scam Since Indulgences—How You Can Avoid Being Fleeced (The Burning Platform, June 11, 2024)
  • The Carbon Credit Scam: Financial Cost, Virtue Signaling, Little or No Environmental Benefit (Gateway Pundit, May 24, 2024)
  • Carbon credit scam exposed: carbon markets fail as CO₂ declines (CFACT, Apr 02, 2020)
    • “…the existence of these markets sets up a perverse incentive. To the average climate campaigner, the goal of such a “market” is to eventually bring CO₂ emissions to as close to zero as possible. But for those companies making big bucks off of carbon credits, when the so-called “pollution” falls, so do their profits. They don’t plan on giving that cash flow up any time soon.”
  • Boondoggle: Carbon capture projects are worse than a public nuisance (CFACT, June 8, 2024)
    • This HAS to be one of the dumbest ideas ever: “…a giant carbon sequestration project on and underneath federal land [in Montana’s Snowy River region]. It would be supported by a vast “carbon capture” network consisting of tens and thousands of miles of new pipelines and dozens of remote storage sites.
    • Carbon offsets are an artificial commodity – completely unrelated to the climate or any other tangible asset. They are an open invitation to fraud because it is impossible to say what effect buying or selling them will have on the climate.
  • World’s largest seller of carbon credits EXPOSED as scam operation (Natural News, March 29, 2023)
  • Unveiling the Potential Scam and Fraud of Carbon Credit Schemes (Irfan Nasrullah via Medium, Sept 27, 2023)
  • Even Greenpeace agrees that carbon credits are a scam, calling them “greenwashing” and “window dressing.
    • “Carbon offsetting is truly a scammer’s dream scheme.” And that’s from Greenpeace, true climate change believers
14-33 Is it Still Free Speech When No One is Allowed to Listen? | Censorship & Greater Idaho

14-33 Is it Still Free Speech When No One is Allowed to Listen? | Censorship & Greater Idaho

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Show 14-33 Summary: Truth, or even just opinions, never need to be censored — unless you’re in the business of telling lies. We have a split show today — we’re talking about censorship in the second-half of our show, but first up we’ll be talking about the Greater Idaho Movement. Those two may sound like unrelated topics but at their heart, they’re quite similar — it’s about being free, and being free to speak one’s mind. And it’s about the powers that be blocking voices who have opinions they don’t like.

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Original Air Dates: August 17th & 18th, 2024 | Guests: Matt McCaw & Dan Schneider

This Week – Greater Idaho and Greater Censorship

We have a split show today — we’re talking about censorship in the second-half of our show, but first up we’ll be talking about the Greater Idaho Movement. Those two may sound like unrelated topics but at their heart, they’re quite similar — it’s about being free, and being free to speak one’s mind.

But do you really have free speech if the powers that be prevent anyone from being able to hear you?

Censorship is about only allowing one side of an issue to be discussed. The erasing… and silencing of other opinions. Only one side is heard, and any others? Well, we just don’t care. Only OUR voice matters.

Which is a bit like what happens in rural areas, where people who live there aren’t listened to. They have no voice. The only ones who do have a voice in rural areas are people who don’t even live there — people in big cities in other counties get to decide what’s best for rural areas.

Greater Idaho

First up we talk with Matt McCaw, the executive director of the Greater Idaho movement. This is an effort to expand Idaho’s border to the west and incorporate the more conservative rural counties of Eastern and Central Oregon. Counties that feel they have no voice in Salem. Because are outvoted by Oregon’s more populated far left counties. Which amounts to people who don’t live in rural areas telling people who do what they are allowed to do.

We’ve used this analogy before: letting people in cities make decisions about what people are “allowed” to do in rural areas is like letting people in rural areas decide things like how much internet people in cities are “allowed” to have. Or public transit. Or decide whether to build new roads or design traffic flows.

It’s an abusive relationship. And people in the rural counties are done with being battered and want out.

But if you think this divorce will never happen, take a listen. And it might just surprise how simple it is. And that it’s happened before. Right here in Oregon.

For more information on the Greater Idaho Movement, see their website: GreaterIdaho.org. Be sure to see their FAQs page.

The Censorship Movement

In the second half of the show, we talk “Greater Censorship” with Dan Schneider. Dan is the vice president of the Media Research Center, where he leads the Free Speech America program.

We witnessed censorship during covid. When differing opinions were blocked. Scientists and doctors were threatened if they did not comply. Threatened with losing their license if they disagreed with the mandates. And the vaccines. We saw censorship in the 2020 election. When the government conspired with social media to block posts unfavorable to Joe Biden. Especially the Hunter Laptop story. We saw Twitter remove Trump’s post on January 6, encouraging people to be peaceful and everyone needed to go home. But the media hid that. Why? To create the false narrative of an “insurrection.” And that Trump caused and encouraged it.

Simply put, it was a lie.

Remember: The truth never needs to be censored — unless you are in the business of telling lies.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton's threatening censorship letter to Elon Musk re Trump Interview
EU Thierry Breton’s threatening letter to Elon Musk (click for full size)

Censorship — from Other Countries?

But the censorship movement hasn’t stopped. Elon Musk may have bought Twitter (now “X”) and exposed the censorship — because he knows there is nothing more fundamental to democracy and to freedom than free speech — but the censorship is still happening. And in many respects, it feels like it’s getting worse.

Is it? We talk with Dan about that. And we talk about the censorship we are seeing over in Europe and the U.K. with their protests against millions of immigrants. The EU’s threats against Elon for daring to talk to Trump—an American politician and presidential candidate. (“Foreign interference in our elections,” anyone…?) And it’s all happening live right now. Right in front of our faces.

But be sure to tune in to hear about a closed door meeting that MRC got a whistleblower inside. A secret meeting with Google telling leftist politicians how to get around Google’s own algorithm and restrictions on political speech. And, conveniently, not inviting right-leaning politicians.

And in case you’re wondering — yes, the censorship movement will get far worse under Kamala and Tim Walz. Both of whom are socialists. And that entails all of the censorship in any socialist country. You are not, and will not, be allowed to question the regime.

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

Matt McCaw, Greater Idaho, Segments 1–3

  • The Greater Idaho’s website is GreaterIdaho.org. See especially their news page and FAQs.
  • And, as always, check their Get Involved page for what you can do to give rural counties a voice by making Greater Idaho happen.
  • Just one of their interviews from Greater Idaho’s main page: “The movement to expand Idaho’s border into Oregon (CBS News Sunday Morning, October 16, 2022)

Dan Schneider and the Censorship Movement, Segments 4–6

Related/Additional

  • The Most Dangerous Anti-Free-Speech Movement in Our History (Fox News, via YouTube, Aug 12, 2024)
    • Alliance between Universities and media and govt and corporations against free speech
    • Polls show people still have an instinctual opposition to censorship
    • Jonathan Turley: “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage”
  • The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris (Time, Aug 12, 2024)
  • Kamala Steals Trump’s No Tax on Tips (Trump War Room, via X, Aug 12, 2024)
  • Inside Elon Musk’s Hands-On Push to Win 800,000 Voters for Trump (WSJ, Aug 12, 2024)
14-32 Crashes and Recessions | Bidenomics, Kamalanomics, and Walzonomics

14-32 Crashes and Recessions | Bidenomics, Kamalanomics, and Walzonomics

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Show 14-32 Summary: Why talk about economics? Because the number one issue for most voters is economics. So if you want to influence how people might vote, you need to know the economic issues at stake and the differences between a Trump administration and a Kamala one. Poor jobs numbers caused the recent stock market crash. Was it just the unemployment numbers and the triggering of the 100%-accurate Sahm Rule that indicates we’re in a recession? Or did the economy not have faith in the guy with dementia allegedly in charge of it? Expect more downturns if Kamala and Walz get elected. The single best answer to Bidenomics, Kamalanomics, and Walzonomics is something we know works: Trumponomics.

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Original Air Dates: August 10th & 11th, 2024 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week – Bidenomics, Kamalanomics, and Walzonomics

This week, it’s about economics, a topic that surveys repeatedly show as being the number one or near the number one issue for voters. We talk with Jonathan Williams from the American Legislative Exchange Council to take a look at the stock market crash beginning Friday August 2nd and rolling over to Monday. And the lingering jitters as a result of it. Are we one market correction away from a major recession?

Then we look at Bidenomics, Kamalanomics, and Walzonomics — all of which get progressively worse because each of those is further left than the previous one. Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” Although we might have a new contender for the one- most terrifying word — Kamalanomics.

We don’t know what Kamala thinks. We don’t know if she thinks or is just spouting what other people tell her to think. But she has said she “loves Bidenomics!” and that she will get rid of the Trump tax cuts on day one if elected.

If you thought Bidenomics was bad, Kamalanomics will crush you. And Walzonomics would be even worse because he’s an avowed socialist.

Well. The answer to Bidenomics, Kamalanomics, and Walzonomics  is something we know works. Trumponomics. So we also take a look at some of Trump’s solutions. But with so much to talk about, time ran a bit short so we’ll have to take a look at his solutions in more depth on a future show.

Socialism is Not Neighborliness

Sorry Governor Walz, socialism is not neighborliness. Socialism is not kind. Socialism is not neighborly. Not even close.

Socialism is about total government control. It is the nationalization of the economy. And that only happens through the control of resources and the means of production, which happens through the end of private property. And if you don’t like it, socialism is imposed at the end of a gun.

Do you threaten your neighbors with guns, Governor Walz?

Our founders knew that without private property there really is no freedom.

Socialism deprives people of their incentives to do better. Their desire to succeed because it punishes those who try — as more and more “neighbors” lay their claim to someone else’s success and demand their piece of it bec they have been told they are entitled to it

I don’t know what kind of neighborhood you live in, Walz, but most neighbors I know don’t think that they are entitled to take someone else’s lawn mower.

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.

The Stock Market Crash and Recession

  • Dow drops 900 points, Nasdaq craters 2% in global market rout (CNBC, August 5, 2024)
    • Fears of a U.S. recession were the main culprit for the global market meltdown after Friday’s disappointing July jobs report.
  • Stocks routed in Asia, tumble in Europe as markets fear U.S. recession in wake of weaker than expected jobs report (CBS, Aug 5, 2024)
    • Japan’s benchmark stock index plunged 12.4% on Monday, compounding a global market rout set off by investor concerns that the the U.S. economy could be headed for a recession.
  • This recession indicator is flashing red, but the ‘Sahm Rule’ creator says ‘this time really could be different’ (Fortune, August 2, 2024)
    • “The Sahm Rule’s accuracy rate is 100% going back to every recession since the early 1970s.”
  • Unemployment Rate Spike Triggers ‘Sahm Rule’ Indicator, Signaling Potential US Recession (The Epoch Times, August 5, 2024)
  • Fury as Biden tries to defend his record – as stock market meltdown intensifies in afternoon trading in blow to 401(K)s (UK Daily Mail, August 5, 2024)
    • “Wall Street’s most watched gauge of investor anxiety logged its largest ever daily jump on Monday. [The Cboe Volatility Index or VIX] hit the highest level in four years — when it last spiked as Covid shut down the economy.

Kamalanomics

Walzonomics would be Worse than Kamalanomics

 

14-29 Split Show: Trump Assassination Attempt and Chevron Decision

14-29 Split Show: Trump Assassination Attempt and Chevron Decision

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Show 14-29 Summary: We discuss sniper expert Scott McEwen (co-author of the bestseller, American Sniper) the timeline of events, the bewildering mistakes along the way of the failed Trump assassination attempt.  And the unanswered questions. Also, the Chevron decision defanged the Deep State. They definitely would not have minded if the attempt was successful. But what now with all those agency regulations going forward?

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Original Air Dates: July 20, 2024 | Guest: Craig Rucker and Scott McEwen

This Week – The Failed Trump Assassination Attempt

We had scheduled bestselling author, Scott McEwen, weeks ago to discuss another military-related issue. But then the Trump assassination attempt happened. And everything we’d planned went out the window.

Scott McEwen is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, American Sniper, the story of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. He also has his own books on snipers, including the Sniper Elite series. So who better to talk to about what happened that fateful day in Butler, PA?

If you have not seen the Trump assassination attempt, watch this clip on X: “I was watching live and rewound the video and recorded.”

We walk through a timeline of events, what is known and the conflicting reports on many of the events. Much of the interview centers on the Secret Service’s bewildering mistakes and missteps. Not to mention the bewildering (a polite word for “completely moronic and stupid) excuse of not covering the roof, because it was sloped. Someone should tell the Secret Service director, the roof is the nearly the same slope recommended by the ADA for handicapped ramps.

Watch: A year before the Trump assassination attempt, Tucker Carlson called it. Tucker predicted that we were on a trajectory for an attempt to take Trump out.

Perhaps the most troubling of all is this: how is it that so much bungling just happened on the one day at the one event where there was an actual assassination attempt on President Trump?

Breaking after the interview – Sen. Josh Hawley: the security detail on the day of the Trump assassination attempt had inexperienced DHS personnel, not Secret Service. Also, Congressman Mike Waltz: FBI briefing says shooter Thomas Crooks had three encrypted overseas accounts.

But first… the SCOTUS Chevron Deference Ruling

We took some time off for July 4th and it just so happened during that time that one of the most important SCOTUS rulings — which we’ve been waiting months for — came down. The Chevron deference decision. (Also called, Chevron doctrine.)

This threw out a previous SCOTUS ruling from back in the mid-80s when Congress was very different. When Congress as a whole had the best interests of the country at heart, even if they approached it from different viewpoints. But it was America first.

What Chevron did was finalize the era of the administrative state, which had been growing for decades. It effectively gave bureaucrats law-making authority. Not the actual laws. Just the part of laws that matter: the rules. When Congress passes laws that have (intentionally, in some cases) ambiguous or gray areas, the bureaucrats step in. They set the rules.

But it gets worse. The administrative state bureaucrats not only set the rules, using their government-approved “experts”, they determined for themselves how fair the rules were through administrative law judges. Think of them as agency-appointed judges, not trial judges with juries. And, under Chevron, if it did make it to a federal court, the courts deferred to the agency and their experts.

It’s about as fair and trustworthy as an accountant auditing themselves. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, a lot did. We talk with Craig Rucker, the president of CFACT, about what happened under Chevron and what will happen now it’s gone. And good riddance.

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Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Chevron Ruling / Craig Rucker, Segments 1–3

Trump Assassination Attempt / Scott McEwen, Segments 4–6

 

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!”?

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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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)
14-08 Government Creep is Beyond Creeping. It’s an Invasion.

14-08 Government Creep is Beyond Creeping. It’s an Invasion.

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Show 14-08 Summary: It’s government creep. And for all the wrong reasons. Jennifer Hamaker of Oregon Natural Resource Industries updates us BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) pulling a fast one on public meeting laws to try shove through Biden’s offshore wind mills that no one wants. And we talk with Rep Ed Diehl about Oregon’s censorship program. Yes, it really is censorship. He got access to their documents. Some of which were redacted — but actually weren’t. Now we have them. Heh heh heh heh…

green new deal is all about money

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: February 24th & 25th, 2024 | Guests: Jennifer Hamaker & Ed Diehl

This Week – Government Creep

Government used to grow slowly. Incrementally. It used to be called “government creep” but now it’s growing by leaps and bounds. And it’s not Superman up there. It’s Lex Luthor in all his villainy.

Because the worst part about government creep is that it always grows for all the wrong reasons. It would be one thing if it got bigger and better about defending our Constitutional rights. But whenever government grows, it’s to find ways around the Constitution. And, of course, it’s about rewarding politicians’ and bureaucrats’ friends and allies. Who, all too often do not have America’s best interests at heart. And Americans pay the literal price. And at the price of our freedoms.

ONRI Continues the Fight

This week, we talk with Jennifer Hamaker of ONRI (Oregon Natural Resource Industries) about the continuing fights against government creep and using the excuse of the environment to do it. “Save the planet” has duped too many people into thinking environmental government creep is even remotely about the environment. Let alone saving the planet.

green new deal is all about money

No. It’s about spending American tax dollars on things that will transfer enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars to leftist groups. Face it. Climate Change. Environmentalism. Global Warming. It’s all socialism. And none of it would exist without cash payments from the taxpayers.

And the Far Left will not blink when it comes to getting those billions. Hundreds of billions. Even to the point of ignoring people (so much for “democracy”) and ignoring public meeting laws. Recently, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it will ignore public outcry, forego any more public meetings, and just approve the plan for Oregon’s offshore wind farms anyway.

But it’s not over.

Remember. Oregon’s Appeals Court threw out Governor Brown’s “Climate Protection Plan” (a carbon credit scheme). Why? Because the agency pushing it, wait for it… ignored public meeting laws.

Jen updates us on what happened, what’s next, and their other fights to raise public awareness of what Oregon’s very Far Left “environmentalists” want to do, which will destroy, not save, the environment.

Don’t be silent. The wins we’ve had recently — like the cancellation of the Elliott State Research Forest — happened because people did not stay silent.

Are you a landowner? Do you have a forest you’d like to harvest? Then you need to contact ONRI. They are looking to form a class-action lawsuit to stop the Private Forest Accord. See the contact links on either ONRI.us or OregonStrongerTogether.com

Government Creep is Just Creepy

Then we talk with Representative Ed Diehl (OR-HD17), whose public records request was the basis of that Daily Caller article we mentioned a few weeks back during our show with Catherine Engelbrecht of True the Vote.  We have been following the ongoing story of the Secretary of State’s scheme to monitor, track, and, yes, censor free speech about our elections. The elections division hired an A.I. company to help them hunt down whatever the democrats in charge of the elections division deem to be mis-, dis-, or mal-information. Or “MDM.”

In case you don’t know, “A.I.” is “artificial intelligence.” Because, apparently, there’s no real intelligence at the elections division. If there were, they would know this is a horrible idea.

As a state representative, Ed Diehl got access to the MDM program documents. Agencies tend to respond to legislative requests, and far better and with less stalling than requests from the public. Or from the media for that matter. Some of the documents were heavily redacted. Except it turns out they weren’t actually redacted. Whoops.

Yes, Oregon. It’s Election Free Speech Censorship

In case you haven’t already, read that Daily Caller article about Oregon’s MDM elections censorship program. It’s a great summary of what they’re trying to do. And how they’re trying to justify spying on, censoring, and threatening people for daring to exercise their free speech. (To quote Greta: “How dare you!”)

Find out more about Rep. Ed Diehl at his website, www.EdDiehl.com

We talk with Ed about what he uncovered. Don’t miss the discussion about the Twitter Files, about the government using Big Tech to censor free speech about elections. Which the A.I. flagged as “worrisome.” Weird. Big Tech and government consider stories exposing government using big tech to censor as worrisome? Oh, the irony. And hypocrisy.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Ed Diehl’s Segments (4–6)

  • Ed Diehl’s website is www.EdDiehl.com
  • Blue State Hired AI Company To Track Election ‘Misinformation.’ It Routinely Flagged Conservative Opinions (Daily Caller, Jan 16, 2024)
  • Censorship-Industrial Complex Enlists U.K. ‘Misinformation’ Group Logically.AI To Meddle In 2024 Election (Federalist, Jan 29, 2024)
  • The bill Ed mentioned was SB1583. It would dramatically curtail the rights of local school boards to control the curriculum in schools. IN other words, it would ensure woke curriculum gets in and anything even closely resembling Judeo-Christian, conservative, or pro-America curriculum stays out.*You can read the bill, register to testify virtually or in person, and/or submit written testimony here: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/SB1583 

Research and Related

Elections, Voter Fraud, Censorship
  • Help fight Oregon’s AI-powered election monitoring and censorship program. Visit Battleground Oregon (BattlegroundOregon.org) and donate to help with legal expenses. (Full disclosure: I Spy Radio‘s host, Mark Anderson, is a plaintiff in this case. He receives nothing from the donations, which go to legal expenses.)
  • ‘Bombshell’ Documents: CISA Knew Mail-In Ballot Risks But Censored Criticism of Them Before 2020 Election (Trending Politics, Feb 22, 2024)
  • Muskegon Voter Registration Probe: Michigan Election Integrity Group Wants to Know What Happened (The Epoch Times, Feb 23, 2024)
  • MSNBC thinks you don’t have rights, like free speech, unless the government says you do. “MSNBC Host Bashes Christians for Believing that ‘Rights Come From God'” (WLT Report, Feb 23, 2024)
  • Rise in Mail-in-Voting: A Convenience or Pathway to Fraud? (America First Report, Feb 22, 2024)
  • ‘Bombshell’ Documents: CISA Knew Mail-In Ballot Risks But Censored Criticism of Them Before 2020 Election (Trending Politics, Feb 22, 2024)

Green, Environment, etc.

Green energy scam on the way out? Check these out:

  • Things Have Gotten So Bad for EV Makers That They’re Having to Send Checks to Angry Leasing Companies (Western Journal, Feb 21, 2024)
  • Tesla’s price cuts are driving down car values so much that EV makers are sending checks to leasing firms to compensate them (Fortune, Feb 21, 2024)
    • Carmakers have begun compensating leasing companies for the sliding value of used electric cars as Tesla Inc.’s price cuts rip through an industry that must sell more EVs or face hefty fines. … Carmakers need to comply with tightening fleet emission levels, or pay fines.
    • Prices for used EVs plummeted last year as weakening demand for new battery-powered cars prompted Tesla to slash sticker prices, forcing others to follow suit.

 

14-04 The Plain Truth in Green Energy: All Things Green Go Red

14-04 The Plain Truth in Green Energy: All Things Green Go Red

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Show 14-04 Summary: Frank Lasee, the president of Truth in Energy and Climate rejoins us to dig a little deeper into hydrogen (and, in particular, so-called “green hydrogen.” EVs are failing in the marketplace and their sales are tanking. We talk about the truth in green energy — that it wouldn’t exist without massive government bailouts, subsidies, and free cash. And we talk about the rise of the hydrogen-based economy. Get ready for it. Maybe because the public has started to catch on to the green funding scam.

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Original Air Dates: January 27thg & 28th, 2024 | Guest: Frank Lasee

This Week – Truth in Green Energy

We welcome back Frank Lasee—a former Wisconsin state senator, senior policy analyst, and president of Truth in Energy and Climate—to talk about the truth in green energy. And, like so much about “green” it’s all red at its heart. As Frank calls it, it’s “soft socialism.” It would not exist in the marketplace without huge amounts of free taxpayer cash.

Remember how Leftists shrieked about bailouts for the “too big to fail” banks? Funny how they’re completely silent now about bailouts and subsidies for everything “green,” isn’t it. Probably because the Left gets massive amount of funding for its political allies. At the taxpayers’ expense.

Our guest’s website is TruthInEnergyAndClimate.com. Great articles and information. And sign up for their newsletter!

This week, it’s all about truth in green energy. Or rather the lack of it. With other green renewable sources on the decline (especially wind), the newest fad in “green” energy is hydrogen.By the way. Green renewable energy is not green. And it’s not renewable. For every one ton of rare earth mined and refined, 2,000 tons of toxic waste is generated. And much of it radioactive waste. And it’s not renewable either. Unless you’re referring to ongoing taxpayer subsidies to keep them going.

Hydrogen. The New Green Energy Fad?

There have been some new breakthroughs, allegedly, in hydrogen. In particular, with using hydrogen as an energy storage medium. Just how real are these breakthroughs? And are they the bridge to a hydrogen-based economy?

Wait, what happened to the EVs? Weren’t they going to save us? Well, it turns out that EVs are quickly losing any momentum and their sales here and in even in green-mania Europe, sales of EVs are tanking. Perhaps it’s because as more people bought them, they realized how inconvenient they are. Or maybe it was the cold snap these last two weeks. Where thousands of EVs had to be towed. Not because they slid off icy roads or crashed. They simply ran out of charge. Or maybe it was because their owners couldn’t run the heater for fear it would drain the battery and they wouldn’t make it home.

Be aware. Hydrogen may be the next green energy scam. Tune in and you’ll hear just how out of touch the Biden administration is. And environmentalists with their convoluted, damn the taxpayers, means to go green on hydrogen.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Articles/Info Mentioned During the Show

  • Frank Lasee’s website is TruthInEnergyAndClimate.com. Be sure to check out this website for great articles and information.
  • Government “accounting” vs GAAP. Article:”Modified Accrual Accounting: Definition and How It Works” (via Investopedia.com, June 4, 2023)
    • Public companies cannot use this accounting method for financial statements, but it is widely accepted for use by government agencies.
    • Public companies cannot use modified accrual accounting because it does not comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
  • New Discovery Overcomes Major Hurdle in Hydrogen Energy Economy (Oil Price, Jan 6, 2024)
    • “The new material, a lanthanum hydride compound modified with strontium and oxygen, allows high-rate conduction of hydride ions at room temperature.”
    • Whoops. Then along came winter → “Not quite noted above is that today’s designs need an above freezing environment. All the time, not just when running. For much of the time and much of the world that is killer. Moreover a freeze would destroy a fuel cell, thus even a rare freeze zone would entail considerable risk. The team hasn’t said anything specific yet. But this is promising.”
  • Hydrogen near tipping point to accelerate decarbonization (Techxplore, Nov 15, 2023)
    • THIS → “The U.S. Department of Energy also articulated the prominent Hydrogen Shot initiative in 2021. According to this initiative, the cost of producing clean hydrogen is to come down to $1.0/kg by the year 2030.” But does that $1/kg include the billions of dollars in subsidies to get there? What’s the real cost?
  • How About A Pilot Project To Demonstrate The Feasibility Of Fully Wind/Solar/Battery Electricity Generation? (Truth in Energy and Climate, Jan 25, 2022)

Info about Hydrogen and “Green Hydrogen”

Oregon’s Green Hydrogen Scheme

  • Pacific NW wins $1 billion from feds for ‘Clean Hydrogen Hub.’ Now what? (News from the States, Oct 13, 2023).
    • The hydrogen lobby duped Congress into $9.5 billion for hydrogen hubs and $100s of billions more for subsidies to make it. These hydrogen jobs will last only as long as the subsidies do.
  • Court case on fate of Snake River dams, imperiled salmon postponed (Oregon Capital Chronicle, Oct 31, 2023)
  • Officials tell public newly approved Northwest hydrogen hub will produce jobs, economic benefits (Oregon Capital Chronicle, Oct 31, 2023)
  • Frank Lasse article: “The Expensive Impossibility of Green Hydrogen From Part-Time Wind and Solar” (Truth in Energy & Climate, October 25, 2023)
  • “The fact that the world is desperately short of lithium and cobalt for electric vehicle batteries, at the scale they want to force, is dawning on them”
  • “Wind and solar produce little or no energy 70% of the time.”
    Frank Lasee: Joe Biden’s Hydrogen Slush Fund Means More Dollars Wasted On The Green Energy Boondoggle (ShoreNews Network, Feb 26, 2023)

EVs and the EV Market

14-02 Winter Potpourri | Hot Topics of the Week, Election Integrity News and More

14-02 Winter Potpourri | Hot Topics of the Week, Election Integrity News and More

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Show 14-02 Summary: You probably missed the big election integrity news this last week. But that could be a little understandable because there was a lot of news this week. If the weather predictions hold true for some of our listening areas, it is definitely a good weekend to stay inside and listen to I Spy Radio. And as it happens, we have a former weatherman on this week. Fan favorite and regular guest, Chuck Wiese, joins us to talk through a huge news week — and one that was filled with stories in which he has expertise as a scientist, commercial airline pilot, and election integrity activist. We talk weather prediction, global warming, election fraud, airplane doors, and other hot topics from this and last week’s news.

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Original Air Dates: January 13th & 14th, 2024 | Guest: Chuck Wiese

This Week – Stories You Might Not have Heard

We welcome back fan favorite and regular gust, Chuck Wiese, to talk about some of the major news stories these last two weeks. And they all just happen line up well with Chuck’s expertise and experience. Chuck Wiese is an academically trained scientist with a degree in meteorology. (Which he obtained before the universities went woke and through science out in exchange for activism and big propaganda grants.) He spent years in the news business as a TV weatherman for a major Portland network before becoming a commercial airline pilot. After retiring from those, he has become a political activist — as we all should be —focusing especially on election integrity. And boy was there some election integrity news this week.

Have you signed up yet for our weekly show promo email? Get a Friday notice about the upcoming show. Send an email to info@ispyradio.com and ask to be added to our list!

Tune in to hear a wide-ranging interview covering why weather predictions, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, are so difficult to be accurate more than 48 hours out. We talk developments in election integrity, including the Georgia prosecutor Fanni Willis going after President Trump only to expose herself as being corrupt. She paid over $650,000 to her boyfriend who has never been a prosecutor. And was dumb enough to charge his visits to the Biden White House to her office leaving a paper trail of corruption.

Election Integrity News – Did You Miss It?

Speaking of Fanni Willis, there was election integrity news you almost certainly missed. Especially if your main news source is the mainstream news. Trump released a devastating report: “Summary of Election Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election in the Swing States.” (If you have not seen this, see the Links section below to download a copy.)

The true “big lie” from 2020 is from the media: there was no evidence of election interference or corruption. That’s the lie. The “big truth” is that there is massive amounts of election fraud. And we talk through just one county in one state: Fulton County, Georgia.

Now you know why Fanni Willis is desperate to attack Trump. Marxism/Leftism 101: accuse the other side of that which you yourself are guilty.

Dumb Things Dumb People Do

The push for green energy (it’s not green) is on a downward spiral. And if you’re in an area this weekend getting hit by all that cold and ice, you’re glad your only power is NOT solar or wind. But beyond the push for green energy (it’s not green), EVs have suddenly taken a dive. All across the U.S. and even in the green-energy-crazy (it’s not green) United Kingdom EVs are suddenly unpopular. Why?

And did you see the dumbest dumb thing thew globalists and global warmers have come up with now? Listen in and don’t miss it.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Never miss a show! We send out a weekly “show promo” email letting you know what we have coming up. To be added to the list, just send a link to info@ispyradio.com and let us know you’d like to be added to our list. We never share your email address and you can decide to be removed at any time. Or added back.

Things We Did Discuss On Air

You Might Also Like…

We ran out of time before getting to some other topics we know Chuck is passionate about. Like Ivermectin for one. And that little miracle drug just keeps giving and giving. No wonder Fauci and Big Pharma tried to ban it.

Ivermectin

  • 6 Secrets of Ivermectin: The Medication That Keeps on Giving (Vigilant News Network, November 22, 2023). Some highlights:
    • It inhibits flu and RSV viral replication
    • Ivermectin reduces inflammation throughout the body
    • Improves the gastrointestinal microbiome by boosting levels of the probiotic Bifidobacterium
    • May help with athletic and sports performance by boosting cellular energy output in the heart
    • And here’s the big one: Ivermectin has profound anti-cancer properties
  • Ivermectin is (or was originally) and an anti-parasitic drug. This class of drug seems to have strong anti-cancer effects as well. Check this out: “The Overlooked Miracle Drug for Cancer? Why Big Pharma Fears Fenbendazole” (Vigilant News Network, Nov 7, 2023)

Oregon and Economics

 

 

 

13-49 Common Sense Prevails | Elliott State Research Forest Plan Gets Sidelined

13-49 Common Sense Prevails | Elliott State Research Forest Plan Gets Sidelined

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Show 13-49 Summary: Could this be a win for Oregon? And common sense? It sure looks like one. Out of the blue, the Elliott State Research Forest plan, which would remove most of Oregon’s largest state forest from production to “study” it — suddenly, Oregon State University pulled out. To use the Left’s favorite catchphrase, it just wasn’t sustainable. Thanks also goes to the tribal nations who thought the plan was not only a financial mess but an environmental mess too. But was there more afoot here than meets the eye? Was it all a scheme to put something else in place? We talk the history of the Elliott State Forest, the evolution of research plan, and how government created the problem it could then fix. If only we spent billions on it.

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Original Air Dates: December 9, 2023 | Guests: Dr. Bob Zybach and Jen Hamaker

This Week – Elliott State Research Forest Plan Sidelined

After years of planning (scheming) and millions of dollars spent on the deal to decommission Oregon’s largest state forest. out of the blue, Oregon State University president, Jayathi Murthy, backed out. That took real courage. As I Spy Radio has been saying all along, this was never going to make financial sense. Nor environmental sense for the endangered species the environmentalists claimed they wanted to help.

What happened?

We talk with long-time guest and I Spy Radio‘s “in house” forestry and timber expert, Dr. Bob Zybach about why this forest deal was a boondoggle from the start. And with Jen Hamaker, president of ONRI, whose organization helped drive public outcry against Oregon’s statewide Habitat Conservation Plan. And how that outcry helped lead OSU’s president to make the right decision.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Environmentalists

As of this writing, this looks like a win for Oregon. And common sense.

Remember, Oregon, by law, is supposed to be making money for the Common School Fund from its forests. But Far Left environmentalists have seized control in Oregon and are working to do anything but harvest timber. Which means they really don’t understand the environment at all. Just ask the tribal nations.

Who did, in fact, tell the environmentalists exactly that. The Elliott State Research Forest would not work. Not financially. And not be sustainable environmentally either. It would, in fact, create a worse habitat for the species they claimed they wanted to protect.

their plans would ruin the which would remove most of the state forest from production to “study” it — suddenly, Oregon State University pulled out. If it can’t be resurrected by December 31, 2023, the deal will sunset. Thankfully, OSU staff saw the impractical and nonviable finances and withdrew. Thanks in large part, too, to the tribal nations who thought the plan was not only a financial mess but an environmental mess too. One that ignored common sense and basic understanding of forestry. (Keep in mind, this was a management scheme cooked up by so-called “environmentalists.”) But was there more afoot here than meets the eye? Was it all a scheme to put something else in place? We talk the history of the Elliott State Forest, the evolution of research plan, and how government created the problem it could then fix. If only we spent billions on it.

What You’ll Learn on Today’s Show

  • How the Elliott State Forest was sabotaged by the government, creating a problem that needed to be solved
  • Why public outcry against the Elliott State Research Forest played a huge role in OSU backing out as the research partner
  • How Oregon is stealing from its own children. Millions spent on the plan when the Elliott State Forest should have been generating millions of dollars, every year, for the Common School Fund

Be sure to scroll down to the Links & Info section to see the flurry of letters back and forth about the end of the Elliott deal, Dr. Bob’s “boondoggle” article, and more.

  • Why the tribes said this wouldn’t work
  • The secretive, closed-door meetings to push the plan
  • Was there something else behind this scheme to take the Elliott Forest offline?
  • Who would profit from a “side plan” to sell carbon credits

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Related Information

  • Read the alternative proposal to the Elliott State Research Forest: The Giesy Plan.
  • Cop28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels (The Guardian, Dec 3, 2023)*“Exclusive: UAE’s Sultan Al Jaber says phase-out of coal, oil and
    Media

    gas would take world ‘back into caves’”

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.

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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.

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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.”