Indivisible Santa Fe Radio

New Mexico spends more on education per pupil than most other states, but ranks near the bottom on student outcomes for math and reading proficiency. Why is that, and what can be done? The answers may surprise.

Donovan and Gary talk with Fred Nathan, Jr., the founder and Executive Director of Think New Mexico, which has has been instrumental in reforming state government: successfully pushing to implement all day kindergarten, remove the sales tax on groceries, end predatory lending and most recently pushing legislation to address the acute shortage of doctors and other health care providers in our state.

Fred talks about additional steps needed to bring more psychologists, EMTS, and PTs to practice here. But his analysis of our lopsided educational system--heavy on highly paid administrators while short-changing classrooms--is eye opening.

Earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court destroyed what was left of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that for the first time in Amerrican history gave blacks access to the ballot box and a voice in their own government. Already states across old Dixie are redrawing lines to dilute minority representation in Congress. Donovan and Gary discuss the decision and its implications with Gene Grant, Executive Director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, who despite the setback sees glimmers of hope on the horizon.

When if ever is war justified? Donovan and Gary are honored to speak with the Archbishop of Santa Fe John Wester, who reflects on the dubious morality of America's war with Iran in light of Roman Catholic teachings that reach back to Augustine and Aquinas which but remain more relevant than ever. Archbishop Wester shares his vision for a better path to peace.

Billionaires with deep pockets have an outsized influence on electoral politics, turning government of and by the people into a system that serves the ultra-wealthy and well-connected. Donovan and Gary talk with Bruce Berlin, the author of Breaking Big Money's Grip on America to under stand the scope of the challenge and explore remedies to return power to ordinary citizens.

Amanda Diaz, Exective Director of Faith Roots Reproductive Action, assists women traveling to New Mexico to receive abortions, offering support with lodging, food and other practical necessities. Where are these women coming from and what conditions force them to seek health care here ? Co-hosts Donovan and Gary talk with Amanda about the effort to protect women's bodily autonomy.

Hosts Donovan and Gary talk with historian and renowned journalist Adam Hochschild, co-founder of Mother Jones magazine, about his most recent book American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace and America’s Forgotten Crisis.. Hysteria over immigration, attacks on free speech, jailing of "subversives" and political prisoners, a surge in lynching and racial violence, gross disparities of wealth and anxiety over women's liberation (women had just won the vote) characterized America in the years 1917-1921. What can we learn from a dark passage of history so similar to the shadows now hanging over our democracy?

Who gets to tell and edit the story of our nation's past? Our host Gary speaks with Jerry Rogers, who started out as an historian-ranger in the National Park Service in 1963 and whose career led him to national positions in historic preservation and ultimately to serve as Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places and a decade as National Park Service Associate Director for Cultural Resources. Jerry retired to Santa Fe together with his wife Nancy in 2002.

Recent weeks have seen walk-outs by Santa Fe high school students protesting Trump's immigration horror show and now his trumped-up wars. Donovan and Gary talk with Aurora Sandoval, a Generation Next writer fdor the Santa Fe New Mexican and junior at Santa Fe School for the Arts to learn how younger people are taking democracy seriously.

Donovan and Gary speak with Scott Romans, Communications Chair for Indivisible Santa Fe, concerning the peaceful march at the Roundhouse planned for Saturday, March 28, where thousands will assemble to call for a return to Constitutional norms and democratic freedoms. Speakers, live music, and whistles for everyone are part what promises to be the largest mass protest in American history. Register at mobilize.us.

Donovan and Gary interview Dr. Simesha McEachern, President of the Santa Fe Chapter of the NAACP. In the week following the death of Reverend Jesse Jackson, what will be his lasting impact and legacy? Simesha reflects on where she find hope and strength in these difficult times.