Hava And Steve One On One. The co-hosts spend some time chatting with one another to explain their differing approaches to politics and community. As the founder Democratic Perspective, Steve has been involved in politics for many years, while Hava is relatively new to politics. She describes herself as more of a community-interested person.

Reflecting on the current state of politics, Steve says, “I

The two go on to offer their thoughts on community,

The post Derby, Williamson Interview – Podcast May 24, 2021 first appeared on .

Advice From The Distant Past. Democratic Perspective welcomes Juan Cole back to the show to discuss his new book The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam – A New Translation from the Persian. Cole is a professor at the University of Michigan and commentator on the modern Middle East and South Asia through his website Informed Comment.

Cole’s research suggests Khayyam is what is often called a frame author. He says the poems were likely written by various people over centuries. But they were all attributed to Khayyam. Centuries later, the poems were discovered by Edward Fitzgerald who translated about 50 of them. They became beloved in Victorian England and the US during the Gilded Age. According to Cole, “By 1900 you had a new edition of the poetry coming out every day…it was tremendously influential. T.S. Elliot started writing poetry under its influence that was well thought of by all the modernists. And Robert Frost’s Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Night is actually an homage to this poetry.”

A careful reading of these 800-year-old poems shows another

The post Cole Interview – Podcast May 17, 2021 first appeared on .

Cities In Chains. Democratic Perspective co-host,

As an example, Ploog notes that the Arizona State Senate just

The two guests cite other issues including plastic bags,

By refusing to permit cities to regulate short-term rentals,

Williamson offers a quote that sums up the problem:

The post Ploog, Williamson Interview – Podcast May 10, 2021 first appeared on .

Smart On Crime. Not Tough On Crime. Democratic

Unfortunately, as a result of the BLM protests, the Arizona House

Later in the show, Clark discusses the implications of Prop 207 legalizing recreational marijuana and Jacob Raiford joins the conversation to discuss NOCAP (Neighborhood-Organized Crisis Assistance Program), first responders for noncriminal and nonviolent dispatches.

The post Clark, Raiford Interview – Podcast May 3, 2021 first appeared on .

Policing Paradise. Democratic Perspective welcomes Charles Husted, Chief of Police, Sedona, AZ. After 30 years of experience with the Sacramento Police Department, Husted now leads a department of 25 officers and is seeking two more. Asked about his hiring practices, Chief Husted responds, “I’m really looking for the people who are the right people for our city. Who they are as human beings? What’s in their hearts?”

Other questions range from traffic to use of force to the color of the department’s squad cars. One of the most important regards 911. Everyone knows to call 911 for emergencies. But what about other issues such as missing property, noise, and problems related to short-term rentals? The Chief replies “I encourage people to call our non-emergency number [available on the city’s website.] That’s still our dispatch, so it’s in our queue. But it doesn’t jump ahead of emergencies.”

He notes that the city is also looking at creating a 24-hour hotline for problems with short-term rentals.

The post Husted Interview – Podcast April 26, 2021 first appeared on .

Common Sense Capitalism. Steve Williamson welcomes Lane Kenworthy, professor of Sociology at the University of California San Diego, to discuss his latest book, Social Democratic Capitalism.

The show begins with Kenworthy being asked to compare the US

Kenworthy goes on to list what he believes should be the

When asked why the US should move further toward the Nordic

The post Kenworthy Interview – Podcast April 19, 2021 first appeared on .

A More Effective, Efficient Alternative To Policing. Though “defunding the police” has become politically divisive rhetoric, it’s true that the majority of incidents that generate 911 calls are better handled by responders other than the police. Amy Meglio and Sam Merton join the show to discuss their plans for the Neighborhood Organized Crisis Assistance Program (NOCAP), a program similar to CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets), which has operated successfully in Eugene, Oregon for nearly 30 years.

According to the guests, NOCAP is based on responding to non-violent, non-criminal 911 calls with teams consisting of an EMT or other medical professional and an experienced behavioral specialist. Not only are they better capable of dealing with the vast majority of calls. They can do so more efficiently and inexpensively than law enforcement.

For example, Meglio reports that each year approximately 60,000 of the 911 calls in Phoenix are for welfare checks – family members or neighbors who are concerned that they have not seen or heard from someone as expected. Many other calls involve mental illness, drug abuse, trespassing, and similar non-violent situations that are too often escalated by the presence of law enforcement. In such cases, it’s important that responders are non-judgmental and non-threatening. People in crisis need to trust that the responders are there to help them. Not to control them and incarcerate them.

The post Meglio, Merton Interview – Podcast April 12, 2021 first appeared on .