By Scott M. Graves/SMGraves Assoc.
The podcast currently has 93 episodes available.
We laughed, we cried. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Sometimes you just have to sit down with a few friends and carry on a funny, stream of consciousness conversation for nearly two hours. The holidays are all about reflecting, laughing and having meaningful conversations.
Producer/music entrepreneur Jeffrey Prescott and Comedienne/ business owner Stephanie Elliott are joined by M the Media Project founder Scott M. Graves for an oft-non-sensical look at economics, politics, television and movie culture and more. Listen in and enjoy!
It's exactly a week since Election Day 2022. Just the right time to initiate a three-way podcast between three candidates in withdrawal!
2021 City Council candidate Scott M. Graves (I) is joined by Lisa Mair (I) candidate for the first Worcester Senate District and Bruce Chester (R), podcast co-host and candidate for the MA House 2nd Worcester District.
We've all felt the sting of loss but don't despair, we're talking what comes next and what solutions we can bring to our communities moving forward.
Bruce has not conceded, having a difference of 712 votes and one community not reporting their number of outstanding ballots.
Lisa discusses her thoughts on running as an independent. She brought to our attention a great resource platform known as Braver Angels.
Scott explains the intricacies of policy-driven campaigning.
We hope you enjoy!
In the 1972 Film 'The Candidate' Bill McKay (played by Robert Redford) makes it to the end of the film (and campaign) the winner of the California Senate election.
The film ends with McKay focused on a television with supporters. He slowly comes to the realization of what just occurred and turns to his neighbors and pensively exclaims, 'What do we do now?'
It is known that candidates for office spend so much time on getting elected that often they have spent little or no time focused on what happens next.
We ask co-host and current candidate Bruce Chester his thoughts on transition and on legislation he would like to propose if elected.
Our discussion wandered (as it nearly always does) into a greater talk about our concerns moving forward post 2022 and in anticipation of 2024 at the federal level.
This weeks episode focuses on the additional two questions being posited to Massachusetts voters on November 8, 2022.
Question 2 focuses on a change to the state regulation of how dental insurance companies utilize premiums.
Question 3 would change the number of liquor licenses one business entity could hold at once.
This discussion made for a platform in which co-hosts Bruce Chester and Scott M. Graves could wield a larger discussion around laws favoring large vs. small business and fairness in regulation governing a corporations ability to pay executives, serve their clients, etc.
Enjoy!
After interviewing Lisa Mair (I), candidate for MA Senate 1st Worcester District who joined us to speak on the merits of Question 1, known by some as the 'Fair Share’ Tax, Bruce and I settled in for a longer conversation regarding our thoughts on this proposed constitutional amendment to change the tax regime in Massachusetts.
The discussion quickly transitioned from one on the merits of specific tax strategies to the larger context of fairness in taxation.
We feel our listeners will appreciate what we had to offer. We hope this stimulates a deeper conversation in your house and local gathering places where thoughtful conversations like this are needed. Thanks for listening!
We’re joined by our new friend and candidate for the Massachusetts Senate Lisa Mair(I) 1st Worcester Senate District for part of the podcast to discuss MA Question 1.
What some are calling the ‘Millionaires’ Tax’ and others the ‘Fair Share Tax’ will do no less than amend the state constitution in order to change the state’s current tax regime.
In preparing for our discussion this writer found seeking vital analysis beyond the amendment language that wasn’t propagandic to be a hard task.
Read Amendment Full Language
We hope our discussion with Lisa and following her interview will help you, our listener and engaged Massachusetts voter, consider more than just the headlines in making your decision.
Whatever you do, we encourage you to make your vote count by going to the polls on November 8!
The Massachusetts republican party has decided to focus this election cycle on a referendum vote by the electorate over the MA House legislation passed in May of 2022 regarding the issue of drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants with provisions in place to restrict voting.
Read the Summary and other information from Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Website
The party was successful in obtaining the signatures needed to get this on the ballot as a referendum vote for election day, November 8, 2022. It will now be up to the voters of Massachusetts to decide where we go from here when it comes to this piece of legislation.
Bruce and Scott share their views on the legislation plus define the law in summary, the yes and no response voters will be responsible for and they offer more definition to the elephant in the room: Why can’t we fix the immigration department and offer immigrants a fair and consistent path to legal citizenship?
We also touch upon the history of immigration in the United States and the social, moral and economic implications of living in a country with a broken immigration system.
We recorded this episode the day after the 2022 Massachusetts primaries.
While our co-host Bruce Chester is running unopposed from other republicans in his bid for the MA House of Representatives, many others including the winner for governor Jeff Diehl (R) were running variously contested races.
We offer listeners our thoughts regarding the results, the reaction of other politicians to the results and the local issues making Bruce's campaign fun and interesting.
We thank our listener and voter Theresa for bringing this topic to our discussion this week.
Bruce and Scott weigh in on their thoughts regarding the convening of a Convention of States to revise or rescind the US Constitution.
Both co-hosts have a deep and abiding loyalty to the rule of law and the US Constitution.
It is with no small trepidation and careful consideration that we provide you, our listener with some thoughts regarding the US Constitution, the process of constitutional amendment according to that document and then our personal reasons why we feel the way we do.
We also spend some considerable time examining the impetus of different groups across the political spectrum that are advocating for changes to our US Constitution.
We referenced multiple articles and sources of information including this September 2022 NY Times Article and this series of points from the Heritage Foundation.
That's this week from ‘On The Rocks Politica’.
Bruce and Scott, co-hosts of On The Rocks Politica take a break from the campaign scene and digest for listeners the latest in local politics including:
The Gardner City Council has two recent determinations of guilty, violating the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Why you should care about these decisions.
Read our August 5, 2022 Article on the MA Attorney General’s Decision
A play by play of our August 4, 2022 interview with Alan Rousseau(Gardner Clean Air) and Ivan Ussach(Millers River Watershed Council) regarding the Gardner Sludge Landfill expansion. What are the risks involved? What benefit does this project have for Gardner vs. its neighbors? What you need to know and what are the best alternatives to an expansion?
Listen to our earlier interview from Spring 2022 ‘Sludge in Your Backyard’
Read about sludge Landfill Alternatives.
Bruce recounts his thoughts from the campaign trail as he is currently running for the 2nd Worcester District, MA House of Representatives. The whole story here.
Find out More on Bruce’s Campaign
We congratulate ‘Are We Here Yet?’ podcast season four guest Monique Priestley, executive director of the Space on Main in Bradford, VT who won her primary for her own bid for the Vermont House of Representatives.
Find Monique’s ‘Are We Here Yet?’ podcast episode here
Enjoy the latest from On the Rocks Politica!
The podcast currently has 93 episodes available.