A Very Bad Idea

Podcast Audio: https://commsolutionsmn.libsyn.com/episode-298-a-very-bad-idea

YouTube: https://youtu.be/alo8dvgaetY

It’s no secret, we hate odd year elections. Very few people come out, and the majority of those are activists, union members, and the uber political. Should 3,500 people decide who makes policy for a city of 50,000? Why don’t we just make it easy for people to vote? We hear so much about making it as easy as possible for everyone to have their voice heard, and then so many places have these odd year elections. They are done solely so one side can control the election results. This is the wrong way to go about it.

You will find odd year elections in small cities like Appleton and in big cities like Minneapolis and St Paul. Some races have competition and some are completely uncontested. How do races even go uncontested, let alone an entire slate of races in a single city or school district? There were numerous referendums and sales tax implementations on the ballot, which passed more in the metro than outstate. Minneapolis also has a number of races where candidates are either on the Democratic Socialist ticket and the Socialist Workers’ Party ticket. Ilhan Omar hand-picked the new mayor of St Louis Park. Have fun with all that. We have to stop with the odd year elections. They do nothing, but secure the DFL’s hold on local elections.

We also discussed the recent death of Matthew Perry and those that went too soon that have left an impact on us. It prompts a discussion on the search for meaning, and I think we may have figured it out.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

The Propaganda Machine

Podcast Audio: https://commsolutionsmn.libsyn.com/episode-223-the-propaganda-machine

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAu_jAlPeXc

What if a city government was able to find out what was being said about specific local topics on social media? Well, you’re in luck! A corporation named ZenCity has made that possible. They use Artificial Intelligence to aggregate social media posts for a city (or a specific city department), so that they can gauge public sentiment and change the messaging (read: propaganda) to help sway the public into supporting whatever they want to do. That sounds cynical, but they’re saying it!

The Brooklyn Park PD has been using ZenCity, and the cost has come right out of the department budget, so that the city council never even had to vote on it! Other cities like Woodbury, St Paul, North Mankato, and Rochester have also been using them. In Meriden, CT, ZenCity was used to change the public perception about drones used in city parks to “encourage” social distancing. Apache Junction, AZ wanted to shape public opinion around a $245 million land sale. Scottsdale, AZ and Oak Ridge, TN both have similar stories as well. This is not listening to your constituents. This is using their unsuspecting opinions against them, and it’s growing in popularity here in Minnesota.

We also discuss the deadliest day in Afghanistan in eleven years. This was a complete travesty fueled by complete incompetency at best and evil intent at the worst. This total botched job could have handled better by anyone that cared at all about our citizens, our military, and our country.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

Yes, But Is It Fair?

Podcast Audio: https://commsolutionsmn.libsyn.com/episode-183-yes-but-is-it-fair

YouTube: https://youtu.be/h2oEoBlVAsA

The way we get information has changed so much in the last 20 years. Where can we go and who do we trust? Social media is the number one way to get information out to a large number of people. Big Tech is censoring conservative outlets and values. The New York Post Twitter account was suspended for verified information about Joe and Hunter Biden personally making tens of millions from China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc. No one is even talking about the Great Reset or the Transition Integrity Project. Should the Democrats win the House, Senate, and White House, many believe that there will be an effort to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, but that it will attempt to shut down all conservative media.

The answer, for now, is to start a blog or a podcast. Citizen journalism is the only way that we are going to be able to get the word out, and even then Google may throttle it down. Isn’t having a debate healthy? Why are we removing opposing voices? We need to look at where the trends are going in the future and plan for how you are going to stay connected to the information and outlets that you trust.

The Senate Republicans got Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court in very short order. It they were able to do this so quickly, why didn’t they ever get rid of Obamacare? Why was there no plan or political will to get this done? We discuss one of the greatest mysteries of the last four years.

We also discuss Andrew’s trip to city hall to early vote. As always, it is quite an experience.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

You Talkin’ To Me?

Communication is at the center of all relationships. Good communication fosters a positive, healthy rapport, while poor communication eats away at the center of an association. This is as true with the “bond” between government and its constituents as it is anywhere else. Unfortunately, we have seen way more examples of bad communication than good in politics. Whether it being outright lies, unfilled campaign promises, or just a lack of transparency, a distrusting and disappointed electorate is almost always the outcome. From last minute notifications to limiting feedback, governments are experts at manipulating what you hear and your feedback. What does it look like when an elected body communicates in a way that the people can be both informed and have an opportunity to have a voice? We outline a number of the problems with the way that cities/counties/school districts communicate, and practical ways to improve the conversation between government and public. The problem is that most elected bodies don’t really want you to know what’s really going on, because they’d have to be accountable for what they do. This will help you, as well, to have a standard to hold them to when they brush off your pleas for more transparency.

Also, we discuss a recent article in which Minneapolis is discussing banning new drive-throughs from being built. They believe that this will help Minneapolis to be carbon neutral by the year 2050. This is a new battle in the war on cars, and they have your car (and your appetite) in their sights. This is possibly the worst thought out policy to date. We give you all of the details here.

We also discuss the push by the state legislature to reduce suspensions and expulsions in Minnesota schools. They feel that it is not equitable to minorities, so they want to get rid of the practice for the most part. They feel that by creating a more caring environment that fosters a desire to learn that students receiving suspensions and expulsions will become model students. We’re not so sure.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!