InfluenceWatch Podcast

Episode 158: Power and Influence of Teachers Unions (with guest Lisa Turkeltaub)

February 25th, 2021  |  34 mins 35 secs

children, conservative, democrat, distance learning, education, fairfax, fea, leadership, left, liberal, libertarian, lisa turkeltaub, parents, progressive, public schools, reopening, republican, right, school boards, schools, special interests, teachers, unions

In this episode: Across the country, bold political leadership from both parties has eased or overridden special interest groups’ resistance to reopening public schools, but linguini-spined leaders of both parties have permitted teachers unions to force children to endure nearly a full year of isolation and virtual learning. Fighting the battle at Ground Zero in the DC suburbs have been the parents of Fairfax County Public Schools, who stand opposed by the Fairfax Education Association—which back last summer set a medically impossible standard to return to work. Excuse me, to classrooms, the union has insisted to me that the schools are open for virtual learning. I regret the error.

Joining us is one of those parents, Lisa Turkeltaub, to discuss the efforts and organizing of OpenFCPS, a campaign group pushing to reopen the schools for real.

Episode 153: The New Presidential Administration

January 23rd, 2021  |  18 mins 54 secs

biden, biden-harris, conservative, culture, favors, influence, labor, labor relations board, left, liberal, libertarian, paris climate accord, politics, president, progressive, right, society, special interests, transition, trump

In this episode: It’s a new week, and there’s a new Presidential administration in town. And if his modern-era unprecedented early firing of the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board and his immediate re-entry to the Paris Climate Accord are any indication, the administration of President Joe Biden is going to be a series of favors for the left-wing special interest groups that helped get him elected. Joining us to discuss the new Biden administration and the role those special interest groups have had in his transition process is Capital Research Center’s Research Specialist Robert Stilson, who compiled InfluenceWatch’s extensive profile on the Biden-Harris Transition.

Episode 29: Obama's Favorite "Capitalists"

June 21st, 2018  |  45 mins 34 secs

capitalism, conservative, corporatism, crony capitalism, dow jones, free market, general electric, libertarian, obama, policy, public policy, regulations, special interests, subsidies

Dubbed the "for-profit arm of the Obama administration," General Electric has vigorously pursued government subsidies and regulations, and got much of what they wanted from the previous administration. Now, the company has been delisted from the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Episode 24: Local Union Scams

May 17th, 2018  |  42 mins 18 secs

afl-cio, amazon, big labor, business, card check, city officials, cronyism, government, head tax, independent contractor, influence watch, jobs, labor council, labor unions, left-wing, neutrality agreements, progress alliance of washington, real change, seattle, seiu, seiu 775nw, special interests, taxes, transit riders union, union loophole, unions

Local unions regularly manipulate their cronies in government to enact unfair policies for their own benefit. We detail such union scams across the country, with a special focus on a local union supported “head tax” preventing Amazon from expanding in Seattle.

Episode 10: De Blasio’s New York

February 8th, 2018  |  39 mins 23 secs

berlinrosen, bill de blasio, campaign, corruption, democrat, democratic party, fight for $15, mayor, money, new york, new york city, nyc, politics, progressive agenda committee, seiu, seiu 1199, service employees international union, special interests, working families party

Who is Mayor Bill de Blasio? Who wanted him in office and why? And why ought we be concerned about him and his potential run for president?

Episode 6: Government Shutdown?!

January 11th, 2018  |  41 mins 2 secs

big government, budget, conservative, debt, deficit, federal, government, libertarian, money, politics, shutdown, special interests, spending

Negotiations over the federal budget have started in Washington, leading to the possibility of a government shutdown if no deal is reached. What does this mean, and who are the special interests looking to protect their funding in the budget?