Grand Canyon Times

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers (LAW), appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss a new poll conducted for his organization, which found that only 18% of Arizona voters say that the American Dream is "still attainable."

That poll, conducted for LAW by North Star Opinion Research, also found that 78% of Arizonans now say that the American Dream is "out of reach."

Additional points discussed on this podcast:

• Cortes Discusses "Patriotic Populism": Cortes discussed his advocacy for what he calls, "patriotic populism," focusing on national sovereignty, diffusion of power, and populist economics. He criticized the concentration of economic and political power in the U.S., particularly under the Obama and Biden administrations, and the dominance of "Big Tech" and large corporations.

• Critique of the "Green Agenda" and Big Business: Cortes said that the so-called "green agenda" is less about environmentalism and more about benefiting large corporations and special interests. He said that policies like California's electric vehicle mandates are "impractical" and "serve the interests of a business-political alliance rather than the environment."

• Connection Between National Sovereignty and Economic Populism: Cortes said there is alignment between national sovereignty and economic populism, emphasizing the importance of protecting national borders and criticizing the Biden administration for its handling of immigration. Cortes said that illegal immigration and "globalization" have led to declining real wages for American workers.

• Impact of Lockdowns and Changing Work Culture: Cortes discussed the long-term effects of the "COVID-19" lockdowns, including a shift in work culture and an increase in people relying on disability and other government benefits. Cortes said there is a declining respect for work and he said there is a need to encourage people to rejoin the workforce.

Cortes was a spokesman and advisor to President Donald Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He previously traded global currencies and interest rates for 25 years for large international hedge funds. He has been an on-air broadcaster for CNBC, Fox News, and CNN.

He founded LAW in 2022 with the mission of promoting "policies to protect the priorities of laborers."

Dr. Owen Anderson, professor at Arizona State University (ASU), joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss free speech and inquiry on Arizona college campuses.

Anderson is a professor in the ASU School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies. He has been with ASU for twenty one years, and previously was a fellow at Princeton University, a visiting scholar at Princeton Seminary, and a fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

A pastor at Historic Christian Church of Phoenix, Anderson has authored several books, including "Job: A Philosophical Commentary," "The Declaration of Independence and God," and "The Natural Moral Law" (2013).

He has a Ph.D. in philosophy from ASU, as well as masters degrees in both religious studies and philosophy from ASU. Anderson also graduated Magna Cum Laude with undergraduate degrees from ASU.

Following is a summary of this episode:

• Free Speech Advocacy: Dr. Owen Anderson, a professor at Arizona State University, discusses his commitment to promoting free speech and inquiry on campus, particularly in response to what he perceives as restrictive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

• Critique of Curriculum "Decolonization": He criticizes efforts to "decolonize" the curriculum at ASU, arguing that these efforts are rooted in Marxist ideology and go beyond addressing historical issues of colonization, potentially limiting academic freedom.

• ASU Faculty Protests of Conservative Speakers: Anderson addresses incidents at ASU involving conservative speakers Dennis Prager and Charlie Kirk, who were labeled as "white supremacists" or "hate mongers" by some faculty and students, a characterization Dr. Anderson disputes.

• Role of Professors and Academic Freedom: Dr. Anderson emphasizes the importance of exploring a diversity of ideas in a secular university setting and expresses concern about the marginalization of certain viewpoints, including his own, in the academic environment.

• Challenges to Free Speech in Academia: The discussion highlights broader issues related to free speech and academic freedom in higher education, reflecting on the challenges faced by faculty and students in navigating ideological diversity and expression on university campuses.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss several issues central to the state of education in Arizona, including Critical Race Theory, school "bathroom policies," sexualized content in schools, and Arizona school choice.

Horne, 78, was elected Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction in the November 2022 election, defeating incumbent Kathy Hoffman (D). Horne received 50.2% of the vote to Hoffman's 49.8%.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Horne is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

He has served in all three branches of Arizona government. Horne was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 1997 to 2001, and had a first stint as Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2003 to 2011. He was elected as state Attorney General in 2010, but lost his re-election to fellow Republican Mark Brnovich in the 2014 Republican Primary.

Following is a summary of this episode:

• Arizona's Education System: Horne talked about his efforts in the state's education system, including removing junk food from schools and eliminating ethnic studies in classrooms.

• The 'Save Women's Sports Act': Horne detailed his office's defense against a federal lawsuit challenging an Arizona state law that bans boys from competing in girls' school sports. Horne said he will take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary.

• School Bathroom Policies: Horne discussed prohibitions on boys using girls' bathrooms in Arizona schools. He said so-called "transsexual" students should have separate bathrooms or use faculty bathrooms.

• Parental Involvement and School Boards: Horne said parental involvement in education is important, and said he would like to see more conservative or academically oriented individuals on school boards.

• Critical Race Theory: Horne said he is opposed to critical race theory being taught in schools, saying it divides students by race and is contrary to the principles of civilization.

• Sexualized Content in Schools: Horne said he is concerned about sexualized content in school libraries and said there is a need for age-appropriate literature.

• Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs): Horne discusses the ESA program in Arizona, which allows parents more choice in their children's education, especially if their needs are not being met in public schools.

Former Congressman Lt. Col. Allen West (ret.), executive director of the American Constitutional Rights Union (ACRU), joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss Arizona's political climate and efforts to enact "Ranked Choice Voting" (RCV) in the state.

West represented Florida's 22nd Congressional District from 2011 to 2013. He served in the U.S. Army for 22 years, during which time he received a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, one with valor device, and a Valorous Unit Award.

Following is a summary of this episode:

Arizona's Political Climate:

• State's Political Shift: Allen West mentions that Arizona, traditionally a red state, has been shifting politically. He attributes this shift to the influx of people from California and other states who bring their political ideologies with them. He believes that these individuals are leaving their states due to failed policies but are inadvertently turning Arizona purple by voting for similar policies in their new state.

• Republican Party's Response: West criticizes the Republican Party in Arizona for not being proactive in addressing this shift. He feels that the party has been complacent and hasn't effectively communicated its message to the new residents about why they should support conservative values and policies.

• 2020 Election: West briefly touches upon the 2020 election, suggesting that there were concerns about the integrity of the election process in Arizona. He believes that these concerns need to be addressed to ensure the trust of the electorate in future elections.

• Importance of Grassroots Movements: West emphasizes the importance of grassroots movements in Arizona to educate and inform the public about "conservative values."

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Proposals in Arizona:

• Definition: West describes RCV as a system that undermines representative democracy. In RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a clear majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on the next preferences indicated by voters. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority.

• Comparison: West likens RCV to filling out a March Madness bracket, where once you make an initial selection, you have no further control over it.

• Concerns:

• West expresses concerns about being forced to rank candidates you might not support at all. He gives an example where if you had to rank candidates like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Abraham Lincoln, you'd be forced to give some form of support to all, even if you didn't want to rank certain individuals.

• He also mentions that with RCV, you don't have individual control over subsequent ballots, making it difficult to audit the system.

• Current Usage: West notes that Alaska and Maine currently use RCV, but Alaska is trying to retract its use.

• Opposition's Argument: Some proponents of RCV argue that it reduces partisanship, but West counters by saying that if he knows who he wants to vote for, he shouldn't be forced to cast any type of electoral support for someone else he doesn't want to vote for.

• Identity Politics Connection: West believes that RCV is a form of "masquerading as a popular vote," which is not what the founding fathers intended. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the intentions of the founding fathers and the balance they sought to achieve in the electoral system.

Hayden Ludwig, director of research at Restoration for America, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to to discuss his recent column, "High Election Worker Turnover' is the Left's Newest Ploy to Federalize Elections."

"Democrats fired the latest salvo in a long war to radically transform American elections by eroding state and local control, replacing ballot-counters with a centralized, D.C.-run bureaucracy," wrote Ludwig in the column. "Their leader: Arizona's famously level-headed secretary of state, Adrian Fontes (D), who believes anyone who dares question the questionable 2020 election is a "MAGA fascist" and "authoritarian" "election denier" spewing 'lies' in order to 'destroy our democracy.'"

Following is a summary of this episode:

Zuck Bucks:

• Ludwig discusses Mark Zuckerberg's donation of $400 million to two nonprofits, primarily the Center for Tech in Civic Life (CTCL) based in Chicago.

• This money was used to aid county election officials in running their elections.

• Ludwig's research suggests that this money favored Democratic cities, potentially influencing the election results.

• Louisiana recently passed an initiative to ban "Zuck bucks," becoming the 26th state to do so.

Dark Money in Politics:

• Ludwig explains that billions of dollars are tied up in thousands of nonprofit organizations that influence politics.

• The left has been more effective at using these nonprofits for political purposes, bypassing traditional party committees.

• This strategy involves registering new voters who are likely to vote Democrat based on demographics.

• Despite the left's significant financial advantage in this area, Ludwig is optimistic about the right's chances due to the Democratic Party's shift from a national to a regional focus.

Election Dynamics:

• • Ludwig believes that the Democratic Party's reliance on specific demographics and neglect of broader outreach will be its downfall.

  • He predicts that the Democratic Party is locking itself out of a majority for the next generation.

  • However, he acknowledges that states with large cities like California, Illinois, and New York still predominantly vote Democrat due to the influence of those cities.

Conclusion:

• Ludwig believes that while immediate changes might not be visible, there will be significant shifts in the political landscape in the coming years.

Gina Swoboda, director of the Voter Reference Foundation, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss election integrity in Arizona and throughout the country.

Headquartered in Phoenix, the Voter Reference Foundation is a national non-profit foundation dedicated to ensuring free and fair elections in the United States.

Swoboda also is the Chief Elections Policy Officer of Restoration of America, a principal at Agrippa Consulting Group, LLC, and the Senior Policy Advisor to the Arizona State Senate Committee on Elections. An experienced elections officer, Swoboda previously served in the Arizona Secretary of State's office under two administrations.

She is an alumnus of Arizona State University (ASU, having graduated Magna Cum Laude, and is currently a grad student at ASU pursuing her master's degree in political psychology.

Following is a summary of this episode:

Election Integrity:Gina emphasizes the importance of accurate voter lists for ensuring the integrity of elections. She mentions issues in Maricopa County during the 2022 elections, including long wait times and problems with the vote center model.

Vote Center Model:Maricopa County moved to a vote center model in 2020, which allows any resident of the county to vote at any location. This model relies on ballot-on-demand printers, which have been problematic.Gina criticizes the ballot-on-demand printer model, noting that it failed to produce accurate ballots in several instances.

Election Day Issues:Gina highlights the challenges faced during the 2022 elections in Maricopa County, including record in-person turnout and issues with ballot-on-demand printers.She expresses concern that Maricopa County plans to continue using this model, which she believes will lead to further issues in future elections.

Mail-In Voting:Gina discusses the push for mail-in voting and the challenges associated with it. She mentions that many countries in the EU and Europe have banned mail-in voting due to concerns about fraud.

Recommendations:Gina advocates for precinct or ward-based voting with pre-ordered, preprinted paper ballots. She also supports on-site tabulation and believes that absentee ballots should be reserved for those with valid excuses.

Public Oversight:Gina encourages the public to oversee voter lists to ensure their accuracy. She mentions the National Voter Registration Act, which allows the public to oversee the voter list.Gina Swoboda's insights provide a detailed perspective on the challenges and potential solutions related to election integrity and the voting process, especially in Maricopa County.

Merissa Hamilton is the executive director of the Save Arizona Fund and co-founder and CEO of EZAZ.org ,which seeks to make civic action "Easy as Pie. She previously ran for Phoenix mayor in 202 and serves as Member at Large of the Republican Party for Congressional District 1.

EasyAZ.org and Civic Action:

• The platform tracks government agenda items at various levels, focusing on policies related to energy, transportation, and climate, which Hamilton argues are designed to incrementally erode freedoms. The mission of their project, "Stop the Arizona Deep State," is to ensure that the public remains the chief stakeholders of the government.

Police and Public Safety:

• Hamilton discusses her experiences and findings that contradict the narrative of wanting to defund the police, citing instances where communities, even in Democrat-heavy areas, expressed a desire for more police presence and safety during her campaign for Phoenix mayor.

Political Challenges and Public Comment:

• Hamilton expresses concerns about elected officials limiting public comment and transparency, arguing that they view themselves as rulers rather than public servants. She emphasizes the importance of public comment as a tool for accountability and transparency in governance.

Election Integrity and Voter Education:

• Hamilton raises concerns about the legitimacy of certain election outcomes and emphasizes the need for voter education and transparency. She describes efforts through her organizations to inform voters and help them align their voting choices with their values, despite challenges in reaching a populace that is often disengaged or distracted.

Ann Atkinson, the former executive director of the T. W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University (ASU), joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss her firing from ASU and the battle for freedom of speech at the university.Atkinson is also an entrepreneur, healthcare real estate investor, educator, former public company executive, wife, mother, and triathlete. Introduction:

• Leyla Gulen introduces Ann Atkinson as an entrepreneur, educator, and former executive director of the T. W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University.

Atkinson's Dismissal from ASU:

• Atkinson said she was fired from her position at ASU after she organized a "Health, Wealth and Happiness" event this past February. The event featured a number of conservative speakers, including talk show hosts Dennis Prager and Charlie Kirk, and financial author Robert Kioysaki.
• Atkinson said that after the speakers were announced, 39 of 47 Barrett sent a letter to the dean condemning the event as promoting "white supremacy" and discouraged students from attending.

Tom Lewis's Involvement:

• Tom Lewis, a significant donor to the university and the namesake of the T. W. Lewis Center, was supportive of the event and its speakers.
• Following the event and the backlash, Tom Lewis decided to cancel his funding agreement with the university due to disappointment with the faculty's response and the new dean's leadership.

Ann's Reflection on ASU:

• Ann reflects on her time at ASU and her reasons for choosing the university for her degree.

Phoenix resident Jason Bedrick, a research fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, joined the Grand Canyon Times to discuss school choice and parents rights in education in Arizona.Jason's work focuses on policies that promote education freedom and choice, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the primary role of families in education. Jason is a former state legislator from New Hampshire and the co-editor and co-author of two books on education policy. For the last decade he has resided in Phoenix with his wife and five children.

Introduction:

• Jason Bedrick is introduced as a research fellow in the Center for Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation. His work revolves around promoting education freedom, religious liberty, classical education, and emphasizing the primary role of families in education.
• Jason has co-authored two books on education and was a former New Hampshire state legislator.

Relocation to Arizona:

• Jason moved to Arizona about 10 years ago, primarily because of his wife's family being from there and Arizona's pioneering stance on education choice.

Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA):

• Jason explains that ESAs, known in Arizona as "empowerment scholarship accounts," allow families to receive the state portion of education funding. This funding can be used for various education expenses like private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks, homeschool curricula, and more.
• ESAs differ from college savings accounts as they allow families to customize K-12 education for their children.

School Choice:

• Jason emphasizes the shift from school choice to education choice, highlighting the flexibility ESAs provide to families in choosing diverse learning environments for their children.

Importance of School Choice:

• Jason shares his personal experience, emphasizing the importance of religious education for his children and how states like Arizona empower families to make education decisions.

Comparison with Texas:

• Jason contrasts Arizona's success with school choice to Texas's slower adoption of similar policies. He mentions the challenges faced in rural areas and the misconceptions about school choice.

Testing and Accountability:

• Jason discusses the differences in testing between public schools and those in the private sector. He emphasizes a bottom-up approach to accountability in the private sector, where schools design their curriculum based on students' best interests and then choose tests that align with that curriculum.

"Gender" and School Policies:

• Jason discusses two bills vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) related to so-called "gender" issues in schools: the "Given Name Act" and the "Arizona Accommodations for All Children Act." The former would require schools to address students by their given names or common nicknames, while the latter would provide separate accommodations for cross-dressing children.

Future Prospects for School Choice:

• Jason believes that these bills might be reintroduced in the future, but their success might depend on a change in leadership.

Host: Leyla Gulen Guest: Matt Roeske, founder of Cultivate Elevate (Scottsdale, Ariz.) Key Points:

• Introduction: Leyla Gulen introduces Matt Roeske, co-founder of Cultivate Elevate, a platform he started with his wife, Amra. Their mission is to educate and empower individuals to rise above fear and illness and take control of their health's future.
• Cultivate Elevate's Origin: Matt shares that they started Cultivate Elevate to provide solutions, not fear. Their first product was the Lion's Mane Mushroom. Matt's journey into health began after realizing the negative effects of GMOs, pesticides, and other harmful substances in food. He emphasizes the importance of understanding what we consume and recommends a documentary called "GMOs Revealed."
• Superfoods and Health: Matt discusses the benefits of superfoods, which can provide essential nutrients that are often missing from our diets. He mentions products like Lion's Mane for the brain, pearl for the eyes and bones, and dragon's blood for the skin.
• Supplements vs. Natural Sources: Matt advises against relying solely on supplements, as they often come from single sources and may contain fillers. Instead, he suggests focusing on whole foods and superfoods.
• Matt's Personal Health Journey: Before his health transformation, Matt suffered from various ailments, including tonsillitis, bloating, acne, and memory fog. He shares how he overcame these issues by making dietary and lifestyle changes.
• Dangers of Fragrances: Matt highlights the dangers of fragrances in products, which can contain numerous chemicals. He recommends a documentary called "Stink" that delves into this issue.
• Living a Clean Lifestyle: Matt emphasizes the importance of being aware of what we consume and surround ourselves with. He suggests making small changes, such as opting for organic clothing and using incandescent bulbs instead of LEDs.
• Ancient Health Remedies: Matt discusses ancient health remedies like Shilajit, a mineral-rich substance, and pearl powder. He also mentions dragon's blood, an ancient tree sap with numerous health benefits.

Conclusion: The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding what we consume and making informed choices for better health. Matt Roeske shares his personal journey and the mission of Cultivate Elevate to empower individuals to take control of their health.