We Have Some Decisions To Make: The Politics of Artificial Intelligence Deployments. Democratic Perspective’s Gary LaMaster and Bill Timberman discuss the unexpectedly early and widespread deployment of artificial intelligence applications, and their disruptive effect on familiar social and economic arrangements. A case can be made that in and of themselves, such deployments are value-neutral. Whether their ultimate effect on us turns out to be positive or negative will depend in large part on a level of political decision-making which at present our legislators in Washington, and in state capitols, seem incapable of managing.

Yes, There Are S0me Good People in Congress. Ruben Gallego, from Arizona’s District 7, Is One Of Them. Democratic Perspective talks to  Ruben Gallego, Harvard graduate, combat marine, and Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona’s CD 7, about the upcoming Presidential debate, his view of the issues facing Arizona and the nation, and his own campaign for re-election. This is one of the strangest election years in living memory. Rep. Gallego reminds us that voting is still the best way to make sure that the craziness stops at the Capitol and White House steps.

First Do No Harm: How Will the De-Criminalization and Regulation of Marijuana Affect Arizona’s Public Health and Safety? Democratic Perspective hosts a debate on the merits of Arizona’s Proposition 205, and whether or not its proposed decriminalization of marijuana sale and use — within certain legally defined parameters — is in the public interest. Will Proposition 205 contribute to an increase of marijuana use, and a heightened threat to the health of our children and adolescents, or will it end the practice of arbitrarily turning otherwise law-abiding recreational drug users into felons, attack organized crime’s sources of illegal income and influence, and provide additional tax revenue to the state, much as alcohol and tobacco tax revenues have traditionally done? Participating in our debate are:

Democratic Perspective Moderators: Chuck and Steve Williamson

Speaking for Yes on Proposition 205: Adam Kinsey, Campaign Manager for Yes on 205: Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, and Mikel Weisser, Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives from Arizona CD 4, and Arizona State Director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Speaking for No on Proposition 205: Ed Gogek, MD — Psychiatrist, Substance Abuse Counselor, and author of Marijuana Debunked: A handbook for parents, pundits and politicians who want to know the case against legalization.

Yavapai College 2016 Update: Have the Last Two Years of Local Political Advocacy improved Community College Access for the East County? Democratic Perspective welcomes back Robert Oliphant, ex-Board Member of Yavapai College for Yavapai County District 3, to discuss his new book, Wake Up Verde Valley, You’ve Just Been Ripped Off, available at local public libraries, and soon to be published (in a couple of weeks) as a free e-text on his public advocacy Web site, Eye On Yavapai College.

Since we last talked to Bob, there’s been some encouraging  support for the Verde Valley’s concerns on the Yavapai College Governing Board, but proposals for addressing the inequities in funding and course development for the Verde Valley campuses in Clarkdale and Sedona are still being voted down, while the College’s empire building in Prescott and Prescott Valley continues with at best token gestures toward the desperate need of Verde Valley residents for accessible technical and vocational education. If we, as residents of the Verde Valley, want our educational needs to be effectively addressed, we’ll have to keep the pressure on.

Down the Stretch in LD 6: Nikki Bagley Is Doing Just Fine, Thank You. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson, talk to Nikki Bagley, Director of the Yavapai College Viticulture and Enology Program and former mayor of Jerome, about the crucial issues facing Arizona voters in this election, the progress of her campaign for the Arizona State Senate in Legislative District 6, and the negative effects on our elections of a perfect storm of ideological extremism, low voter turnout, and out-of-state dark money. If we want a state legislature which actually does the job we expect its members to do, we need to reform the process which elects them.

Has the Justice Department Just Struck the First Significant Blow In the Battle Against Rent-Seeking In Our Correctional Systems? Democratic Perspective hosts Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson review the Justice Department’s announcement that some federal contracts with private prison corporations are being phased out. This may be a small step, but it appears to be a significant one. A number of states are already reviewing their private prison contracts, and the new federal precedent may make it easier for state legislators to end, or at least curtail, private prison contracts in their states. Democratic Perspective certainly hopes that this will be the case, as Arizona in particular has suffered far too long from the profiteering, corruption, violence, and human rights abuses that have plagued private prisons everywhere.

And Now For Something Completely Different: Democratic Perspective takes a break from the craziness of our current election cycle to talk to one of our favorite non-politicians. Nancy McCulla, chef and owner of the Café Daily Fare Restaurant and Simply Delicious Full-Service Catering, has been serving up incredibly good food to the people of Northern Arizona for over 30 years. We aren’t in the restaurant guide business, but if we were, we would definitely award Café Daily Fare a full four stars.

If you want to know what it takes to run a successful small business without compromising your art or your originality, this is the show for you. If you’ve ever spent time slaving over a hot stove, let alone run a business with a highly perishable inventory, and lots of competition crowding your profit margins, you already know that it can’t be easy to make consistently satisfying food for a public with widely varying tastes, and to do it at a price most of them can afford.  If you’ve got the chops for it, though — as Nancy clearly has — cooking for people can be a rewarding way to make a living, not to mention a source of lasting delight for your customers.

Are Robots Taking Our Jobs? Yes, but That May Be the Least of Our Worries: Democratic Perspective takes a long look at accelerating developments in the related fields of robotics and automation, big data and the cloud, the internet of things, and artificial intelligence. There’s a technological tsunami overtaking our familiar social, political, and economic relationships, and hardly anyone outside Silicon Valley, least of all our legislators, has any idea how to deal with the consequences.

The Democratic and Republican Party Platforms: Promises, Promises…. Democratic Perspective hosts Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson take a closer look at the Democratic and Republican Party platforms. 51 and 58 pages, respectively, of wonkery, neither of which, if history is any guide, is likely to be fulfilled in its entirety. Nevertheless, as statements of intent, they do tell us a lot about the very real differences between the two parties, and what they would make of our American future should things go their way in November.

The Democratic Party Holds Up Its Mirror To an America Which Isn’t Afraid, Isn’t Angry, and Isn’t All White or All Male: Democratic Perspective regulars Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson review the Democrats’ vision of the American future. It’s quite a different picture than the one presented last week at the Republican convention.