Independent Voices

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Channel • 4 Shows

News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated 03/17/2022
Politics

Politics

Updated 02/07/2022
News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated 03/12/2021
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 06/24/2021

02/07/2022

Ranked Choice Voting In NYC: More Choice, Greater Diversity, and Better Representation

On this episode of Toppling the Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths welcomes back FairVote Senior Analyst Deb Otis to discuss a new report she co-authored on the impact ranked choice voting had on New York City. NYC held its first ranked choice voting primary election in June 2020, and after the November election, the nation's largest city got its most diverse city government in history. Ranked choice voting is an alternative voting method in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. Advocates point out that RCV gives voters more choice and allows for additional rounds of runoff in no candidate has a majority without the expense of another election. A separate runoff election would also have a lower turnout meaning winners wouldn't be decided when the most voters participated. FairVote's report shows a higher turnout in the primary, and greater confidence among voters that their voice at the ballot box mattered. Shawn and Deb dive deep into the report and talk about what voters should take away from it, as well as campaigns looking to pass ranked choice voting in their own city or state. Want to know more about the benefits of ranked choice voting and what it offered the nation's largest city? Check out this episode.

02/07/2022

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21 min
05/07/2021

When Missouri Lawmakers Decide The People Have Too Much Power...

On the latest episode of Toppling The Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths talks with Benjamin Singer, the executive director of the cross-partisan organization, Show Me Integrity, about the effort to stop Missouri lawmakers from making the ballot initiative process all but impossible to use as a means to effect the direction of government and elections in the state. Missouri lawmakers are proposing legislation that would raise the threshold to pass an initiative on the ballot to two-thirds of the vote, while also reducing the time campaigns have to collect petition signatures and raising the amount of signatures needed to put an initiative on the ballot. But, it doesn't stop there as legislators have decided that the people have too much power Singer discusses in detail the consequences the proposed legislation could have on politics in Missouri, and what this means for voting rights in the state. It is an important discussion about a blatant power grab at the expense of the rights and will of voters. You don't want to miss it.

05/07/2021

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23 min
01/15/2021

The Conservatives Fighting to End Dark Money in Politics

In this episode of Toppling the Duopoly, nationally-recognized expert in election reform and host Shawn Griffiths interviews John Pudner, the executive director of the nonpartisan nonprofit Take Back Our Republic. Take Back Our Republic is committed to educating the public on conservative solutions to reform. In the process, it builds nonpartisan coalitions to take on corruption in the political process, shine a light on dark money, end partisan gerrymandering, and implement instant runoff voting (more well known as ranked choice voting) in elections. John Pudner also expresses his disgust for what happened at the US Capitol on January 6, and the lies and misinformation constantly fed to a segment of voters that led to the insurrection. However, he says if there is any silver lining, it is that it was a wake up call to everyone that we cannot have millions of people who believe election results are illegitimate based on no evidence or reason other than to serve the interests of those in power. It is a phenomenal interview with someone with first-hand experience fighting corruption in US politics. Check it out, and as always... stay independent. Interested in a deep dive into the issue of election integrity, particularly as it pertains to the 2020 election cycle, and what neither party wants you to think about? Check out Shawn's latest piece on IVN.us here, and uncover the true source of the problem in the US political process.

01/15/2021

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29 min
03/02/2021

Kevin Faulconer’s City Hall and 101 Ash: The Worst Land Deal and the Biggest Cover-up

Art Castanares of LaPrensa San Diego, is joined by guest host, Barbara Bry to discuss 101 Ash Street. This premiere episode features an exclusive interview with attorney Lawrence Shea on city of San Diego's disastrous 101 Ash Street deal. (Originally aired on 2March21)

03/02/2021

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43 min
04/21/2021

SDG&E Employee Fired Over Alleged White Supremacist Picture is a Latino

Art invites Emmanuel Cafferty, to discuss his firing from SDG&E. He was fired last year after a picture posted on social media showed him making a common hand gesture that has become associated with white supremacists, but there is no evidence he had any racist intentions or even knew what the hand sign meant. Is cancel culture out of control?

04/21/2021

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32 min
04/09/2021

Voters Have A Right to Choose The Election System They Want

In the latest episode of Toppling the Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths and his guests discuss a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the will of the people in Alaska, who approved a comprehensive reform amendment in November 2020 that: Shines a light on dark money in state politics Implements a nonpartisan top-four primary Makes Alaska the second state to adopt ranked choice voting Joining Shawn to talk about this is Jason Grenn, executive director of Alaskans for Better Elections, and Scott Kendall, attorney for the group. Alaskans for Better Elections spearheaded the campaign for the amendment, which was on the ballot as Ballot Measure 2, and is now an intervening party in the lawsuit against it. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit assert that the new system harms individual rights to association on the ballot, but the courts have already weighed in on this in multiple states for similar systems, and found this claim to hold not merit since it treats voters and candidates equally from the onset of the electoral process. Jason and Scott talk about Ballot Measure 2, the lawsuit, and continued efforts to increase voter education on the new electoral system created under the amendment, which they say is boosting support even more. Even legislators are coming together and forming cross-partisan coalitions as the new system shifts the incentive structure to put voters before party. Check out this amazing conversation, and if you haven't already be sure to like or subscribe to Toppling the Duopoly wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening, and as always... stay independent.

04/09/2021

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28 min
02/19/2021

Why America Is Not As Divided As The Parties Want You to Think

On this episode of Toppling The Duopoly, election reform expert Shawn Griffiths is joined by Dr. TJ O'Hara to take a deeper dive into the manufactured political divide in the US. The national narrative would have us believe that America is on the brink, but this is a perception forced on the population in the zero-sum contest between the Republican and Democratic Parties. The truth is, America is not as divided as the parties would have you think. TJ O'Hara is an internationally recognized author, speaker, strategic consultant in private and public sectors and the Principal Political Analyst for the IVN Network. He is also host of the IVN podcast, Deconstructed, and is a former presidential candidate. So, in his field and in his experiences in national politics, he has extensive experience examining why the divide between the parties and their members has gotten to a boiling point. However, while the parties have never been further apart, due to how elections are designed, we have allowed an extreme minority to represent society as a whole. The American people have largely expressed not only a desire to work together and compromise, but when presented with a comprehensive look at the nation's biggest issues, people tend to find common ground a lot more often than one might think. It is a fascinating discussion between Shawn and TJ. Be sure to stick around for the whole thing, and if you like the podcast and/or find it informative be sure to leave a review where possible, and follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening, and as always... stay independent.

02/19/2021

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47 min
02/05/2021

What Is The Two-Party Duopoly?

Imagine going out to dinner but there are only two restaurant options from which to choose. The customer service may be sloppy in both, and no matter how much a customer raises grievances with the limited options on the menu, nothing changes. Instead of adapting their business practices to an evolving consumer base, they increasingly distance themselves from the interests of consumers. What’s worse, employees of these two restaurants also write the rules and regulations that govern the service industry and other employees enforce the rules. Sounds crazy, right? Why would we ever allow this to happen? Well, this is essentially the situation of the US political system. On this episode of Toppling the Duopoly, election reform expert Shawn Griffiths features a segment from a recent conversation he had with author and podcaster Jim Duncan on his show, Independent Riot, which is also a part of the IVN Network. Shawn and Jim give a basic breakdown of what the duopoly is and some misconceptions about what people mean when they refer to the "duopoly." If you are interested in the full interview between Shawn and Jim, check out Independent Riot on IVN.us as well as the other podcasts featured on the IVN Network.

02/05/2021

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14 min
04/12/2021

SD City Council Allows Hotel Tax Increase to Stand without Enough Election Votes

The San Diego City Council has allowed a ballot measure to stand -pending a court decision- that would raise hotel room taxes even though not enough voters supported the tax during the March 2020 election. Alliance San Diego's Executive Director, Andrea Guerrero joins the podcast to talk with Art and guest co-host, Barbara Bry. (Originally aired 12April21)

04/12/2021

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25 min
10/08/2021

Anti-Corruption Awards to Honor Entrepreneurs Investing in Better Elections

On this episode of Toppling The Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths is joined by Cathy Stewart and Amikka Smith, who are co-hosting IndependentVoting.org's 20th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards on Monday, October 25 at 6 PM EDT. This year, Independent Voting is taking the event national by hosting a virtual event available to anyone who wants to register to attend. The awards honor individuals that span the political spectrum who are working to advance the independent voter movement. This year, the honorees include former Gehl Foods CEO Katherine Gehl, founder of the Institute for Political Innovation and leading advocate for Final Five Voting, which would implement a nonpartisan top-5 primary with ranked choice voting in the general election. The event will also honor Farhad Mohit, founder of Flipagran (which was acquired by the company behind TikTok), who started an open source platform to help independent candidates be more competitive called the Good Party, and Gaby Cardenas, Principal and CEO of the multicultural marketing firm The Colibri Collective, for the strides she has made in connecting independent voters. Cathy and Amikka promise attendees will have a good time as they learn more about the honorees and the growing independent voter movement. You can register for the event here.

10/08/2021

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22 min

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Independent Voices

Top Shows

Ranked Choice Voting In NYC: More Choice, Greater Diversity, and Better Representation

When Missouri Lawmakers Decide The People Have Too Much Power...

The Conservatives Fighting to End Dark Money in Politics

Kevin Faulconer’s City Hall and 101 Ash: The Worst Land Deal and the Biggest Cover-up

SDG&E Employee Fired Over Alleged White Supremacist Picture is a Latino

Voters Have A Right to Choose The Election System They Want

Why America Is Not As Divided As The Parties Want You to Think

What Is The Two-Party Duopoly?

SD City Council Allows Hotel Tax Increase to Stand without Enough Election Votes

Anti-Corruption Awards to Honor Entrepreneurs Investing in Better Elections

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