The Future Of Real Estate Development In Arizona’s Verde Valley. Democratic Perspective co-hosts Steve Williamson and Hava Derby engage in a lively discussion with guests, Al Comello and Steve Segner, over some of the area’s proposed developments.

Segner is owner of El Portal Hotel and President of the Sedona Lodging Council and Comello is a former candidate for Sedona’s City Council. Both are sympathetic to developers. “I’m supportive of almost all progressive issues. But there is a side of me that will make me sound like a staunch conservative,” says Comello. “I’m a supporter of development.” He adds, “The county is as big as a state. It’s going to grow.”

Segner describes the need for development in the area, saying, “We need medium priced and low-income housing. But we tend to fight every single development. We have got to stop being so negative.” On the other hand, he points to the lack of long-range planning, saying, “Yavapai County doesn’t have a master plan. So, when something comes up, everyone fights it. Development should be thought out ahead of time. Now it’s piecemeal.”

As Hava raises concerns with citizen input, fire danger, and limited water resources, Comello and Segner respond by stating that the County Board of Supervisors and City Councils are bound by state laws which don’t cover those issues. But it’s fair to say that, too often, developers and realtors have helped write those laws as a result of disproportionate representation in legislative bodies.

The post Comello, Segner Interview – Podcast April 5, 2021 first appeared on .

Restoration Versus Retribution. Co-hosts Hava Derby and Steve Williamson welcome Dustin Gilman Stienstra, Executive Director of Northern Arizona Restorative Justice, to address the failures of our current justice system and how restorative justice can help break the cycle of crime.

Stienstra explains that communication between the offender and the victim are key, to help the offender understand the harm done. “Often they don’t have a perspective of the harm they caused by their actions,” he says. “Good communication starts with listening, hearing the perspective of the person harmed is impactful. It’s very common for offenders and those who commit harm to minimize their actions. We are changing the culture by allowing them to have a safe place for that conversation, to allow them the space to see themselves. It’s not about casting accusations against you. It’s about helping you understand your actions. Shame and blame are not part of the process.”

Stienstra adds, “Many criminals feel remorse. It’s uncommon not to see remorse. Many are ordinary citizens who have made mistakes.”

In discussing the failure of the current system, Stienstra notes the large number of our citizens in prison – more per capita than anywhere else in the world. Only 3 percent of those in jail have had a trial. The rest have plea-bargained under threat of draconian sentences. “That kind of coercion causes people to say and do things that haven’t even happened. That’s not justice,” he says. “We have people locked up and no one is getting the help they need.”

Moreover, Stienstra believes the concepts of restorative justice go beyond criminal justice. “Restorative practices work anywhere we find conflict,” he says. “Too often, the way people deal with conflict is conflict.”

The post Stienstra Interview – Podcast March 29, 2021 first appeared on .

The Impact Of Covid-19 On American Society. Democratic Perspective welcomes back author and journalist Sasha Abramsky to discuss the consequences of the pandemic. He begins by addressing the impact on the economy, saying that those at the bottom of the economy are suffering in a way we didn’t even see in the Great Recession. But, at the macro level things are going relatively well. The stock market is soaring, which has added to the concentration of wealth at the top of the economy.

Asked about the rising crime wave, Abramsky notes that, at the beginning of the pandemic, there was absolute dislocation with 15-20% of workforce out of work. There has been psychic dislocation, as well, caused by profound isolation. “Psychologists and criminologists will be talking about this for decades to come,” he says.

Abramsky expects the effects to linger for a generation, much like the aftermath of the Great Depression, WWII and the Cold War. But, according to Abramsky, not everything about the pandemic is negative. “When we look back on this, in addition to all the trauma and the horror, I do think we’ll find lessons…at the simplest level I doubt any of us will take those we care about for granted. I think we’re going to take a lesson from the pandemic and realize that’s what’s important.”

The post Abramsky Interview – Podcast March 22, 2021 first appeared on .