Martin Shkreli Isn’t the Only Profiteer in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Why Does the U.S., Alone Among Developed Countries, Allow Life-Saving Prescription Drugs To Be Priced Beyond the Reach Of Many Of the Patients Who Need Them? David Brushwood, professor emeritus of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy returns to Democratic Perspective to talk about price gouging in the pharmaceutical industry — how it got started, who benefits from it and who doesn’t, and what can be done about it. As it turns out, the U.S. government already has many of the tools it needs to make drugs available at a reasonable price to everyone. What it lacks is the will to use them.

David Garcia Is Running for Governor: Who Is He, and Where Does He Stand on the Issues Facing Arizona? Democratic Perspective co-hosts Michia Casebier and Mike Cosentino talk to David Garcia, Arizona State University professor, former Democratic candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, and recently announced Democratic candidate for Governor, about his background, his reasons for running, his views on the issues central to the welfare of the majority of Arizonans, and his take on how a responsible government should approach those issues. If we really do care about everyone in our state, and not just those who can pay for favors, we need to change who we elect to govern us. Supporting forward-looking candidates like David Garcia is a good way to start.

Getting Over the Can’t: the League of Women Voters of Greater Verde Valley Is Sponsoring a Candidate Boot Camp. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson welcome Kathy Kinsella, Angela Lefevre, and Barbara Litrell, from the League of Women Voters of Greater Verde Valley, to talk about their three-session candidate boot camp coming up on May 3rd, 10th, and 17th at the Sedona campus of Yavapai College.

The obstacles to running for political office in the U.S. can seem daunting to the inexperienced potential candidate, so much so  that many people who would make excellent elected officials are reluctant to even consider running. If you or any of your friends would like to run for office in Arizona, but don’t know exactly what the requirements are for a successful candidacy, or are mystified by the process of declaring, filing, reporting, raising money, etc., the upcoming League of Women Voters’ boot camp may be just what you need to get you started.

How Do You Deal With the Crazy in Arizona Politics? Steve Farley Has Some Ideas: Democratic Perspective welcomes Steve Farley, Arizona State Senator from District 6 in Tucson, for a discussion of the latest examples of Republican malfeasance in Phoenix, and how he works across the aisle to ameliorate as much of it as he can. We explore the attack on the right of citizen initiative and petition represented in HB2404 and HB2244, and the expanded assault on the funding for public education embodied in SB1431, as well as some of the other notably boneheaded moves by Governor Ducey and the Republicans in the State Legislature.We also ask him about his exploratory work on a possible run for governor in 2018, and the response he’s getting across the state.

If you want to see the sausage-making of the legislative process up close, and in a form non-politicans can understand, we also highly recommend Senator Farley’s weekly newsletter, The Farley Report. What’s there is not always a pretty sight, but it’s the kind of thing that concerned citizens desperately need to keep an eye on, and we commend Senator Farley for making it available to us.

After the Debacle of 2016, It’s Clear That the Democratic Party Has Problems: Does It Have Any Solutions? Doug Ballard, Arizona Democratic Party stalwart, former chair of the Coconino County Democratic Party, Democratic Candidate for the Arizona State Legislature, and currently Arizona State Committee member of the Democratic National Committee, talks with Democratic Perspective hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson about the future of the party, which despite its catastrophic losses in the last election, is already working on a number of new initiatives at the local, state, and national levels.

Carnival Barkers Make Lousy Presidents: Donald Trump Tries Governing a Country of 325 Million People With Tweets, Executive Orders, and a 36 Year Old Son-In-Law. Steve Segner, community activist, owner of the El Portal hotel in Sedona, and a valued sponsor of Democratic Perspective, joins Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson for a closer look at the first two months of Donald Trump’s Presidency. Self love may have allowed President Trump to imagine himself sitting in the Oval Office, but as the recent debacle of Repeal and Replace has made abundantly clear to everyone except the Donald himself, self-aggrandizement fantasies alone can never prepare you adequately for the difficult test of the U.S. Presidency.

The Opioid Epidemic: What Happens When the Quest for Effective Chronic Pain Management Encounters the War on Drugs. David Brushwood, professor emeritus of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy talks to Democratic Perspective regulars Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson, about chronic pain management and drug addiction theory and practice, and the cognitive dissonance and subsequent public policy failures which can arise when the two come into apparent conflict.

This Is Why Donald Trump Will NOT Have the Last Word: Women’s March Sedona Is On the Move. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson are joined in the KAZM studio by Peggy Chaikin, Michelle Grimm, and Kathy Kinsella, representatives of Women’s March Sedona, for a discussion of the post-election trauma many people are suffering, and what they can do about it. As with other groups in other periods of political uncertainty,  political activism is their antidote of choice. If you want something done, sometimes you just have to get together with some friends and do it yourself.

Listening to the People You Represent: The Partnership Between Members of Congress and Their Local Staff Representatives. Chip Davis, 5-term Yavapai County Supervisor, and now Deputy District Director for U.S. Representative Tom O’Halleran (D, AZ District 1), talks to Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson  about his experiences working for Representative O’Halleran. Why citizen liaison is so important to Members of Congress, especially freshman members, and how experienced staff back in the District can help Representatives be both more responsive and more effective in serving their constituents.

Infrastructure, Education, and Economic Development: The Challenges Facing Yavapai County. Randy Garrison, recently elected Yavapai County Supervisor for the 3rd District, joins Democratic Perspective for a discussion of a County Supervisor’s duties, and the challenges facing Yavapai County and the Board of Supervisors in a period characterized by savage budget cuts, an aging population, and a rapidly evolving 21st century economy.