The Alliance Party After Dark

Single Payer Healthcare explained

Mimi Signor, a retired hospital staff nurse at a large urban hospital in St. Louis, Missouri drops by to help us understand single payer healthcare. Mimi has been a member of the Missourians for Single Payer (MOSP) since 1991, and served several roles within MOSP including president. She has organized key leaders in the entire state as MOSP works to educate people about the vital need for Improved Medicare for All and to work for its implementation. She addresses questions like, “What if I like my current insurance-based healthcare?” Or, “Won’t hospitals lose money if we implement Medicare for All?” Having been on the front lines of “Single Payer Healthcare” for many years, Mimi has a solid understanding of the issues and shares her valuable insight in this podcast.

Historic Restoration Projects for Our Collective Soul

Michael Bedenbaugh, the Executive Director of Preservation South Carolina, talks about restoring more than just historic buildings in South Carolina. He discusses what it means to be aware of our sense of community. The historic structures he and his team restore represent a time when small towns were more than just a collection of buildings, but a foundation of thriving close-knit communities. Our contemporary sense of belonging has been, in many ways, uprooted in our pursuit of a promising future. As banks and businesses consolidated and the world shrank, our country fractured and left large parts of itself behind. Michael points out that by preserving and restoring our past, we have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the precious sense of strong community that - unless it’s rescued - may well leave an open wound that will undermine and sabotage our future.

Theresa Amato drops by to talk about some of the barriers that independent candidates encounter and what we can do about it

Theresa Amato, author of the book Grand Illusion - The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny discusses some of the numerous barriers that independent and non-two-party candidates encounter when running for office. She speaks with first-hand knowledge, having been the national presidential campaign manager and in-house counsel for Ralph Nader during his campaigns for President in 2000 and 2004. Theresa was also the first woman to run two high-profile presidential campaigns outside of the two main parties. In this episode, we discuss campaign finance issues, voter disenfranchisement, media bias, the failure to fix voting irregularities and other issues related to the election of our political officers. Despite all the issues, however, Theresa remains optimistic as she describes the positive developments taking place, where ordinary citizens are organizing and taking back the power that is rightfully theirs. This is a fascinating episode you don’t want to miss as things heat up this election year.

Marc Goldwein from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (crfb.org)

This evening, we talk with Marc Goldwein, the Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget - or CRFB - where he guides and conducts research on a wide array of topics related to fiscal policy and the federal budget. Marc works regularly with Members of Congress and their staffs on budget-related issues. He is frequently quoted in a number of major media outlets. Listen in as Marc helps explain some of the complexities of our Federal budget, and how the most recent budget proposal from President Trump affects you as well as our nation.

Philip Fuehrer and Ben Thome talk politics with a Minnesotan perspective

This evening we chat with Philip Fuehrer, the chair of the Independence-Alliance Party of Minnesota as well as the Alliance Party State Chair, and Ben Thome, the State Party Director for the Independence-Alliance Party of Minnesota. Both Philip and Ben have been with the Independence Party for quite some time and have learned many lessons regarding politics in Minnesota, and they share their experience and lessons in this informative podcast.

Dr. Oscar Lovelace, rural physician and party chair, talks about healthcare

This evening we’re talking with Dr. Oscar Lovelace, a physician from South Carolina, who was named the “National 2015 Family Physician of the Year” in recognition of his outstanding work over many years of dedication to the practice of medicine. In 2003, Dr. Lovelace was appointed by then Governor Mark Sanford to serve as state-wide co-chairman of the Health Care Task Force. In 2004, he served on the Lieutenant Governor’s Commission on Aging. In 2006, Dr. Lovelace challenged the current state governor during the GOP Primary and though the incumbent prevailed, he managed to get over 35% of the vote. Dr. Lovelace’s experience with both medicine and politics uniquely qualifies him to speak about our nation’s healthcare system on our podcast this evening.

Congressional Candidate Steve Kuzmich on the Issues

This evening we’re talking with Steve Kuzmich, a fiscally conservative and socially moderate independent running for U.S. Congress in the 24th district of Texas. This district covers a largely suburban area between - and slightly to the north of - the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Steve is running as an independent candidate, and he has already organized a team and has actively started his campaign. Drop in and listen to his views on why an independent candidate is needed, especially in today’s dysfunctional political environment.

Ralph Nader discusses political third parties

Ralph Nader drops by and talks about the many contributions that political third parties have made throughout our nation’s history. He also discusses at length the difficulties third parties encounter when trying to break through the barriers that the duopoly has erected to protect their turf. Mr. Nader - an attorney, activist, politician and author of several books and countless articles - ran for US President several times, and now he freely shares his experiences and wisdom with the Alliance Party. He hosts a weekly podcast, “The Ralph Nader Radio Hour,” which you can find at ralphnaderradiohour.com. Also, in December 2019, he and co-author Mark Green published a book entitled “Fake President - Decoding Trump’s Gaslighting, Corruption and General BS.” Be sure to tune in for an interesting and highly informative episode!

Rudy Barnes talks politics, law, religion, ethics and the military

Rudy Barnes has been a lawyer, a US Army Colonel, a Methodist Church pastor and a book author. In today’s podcast, he gives his views on how religion should be more involved in shaping today’s moral behavior, both in and out of politics. He also spends considerable time talking about the critical role that the military plays, not as a force of might, but more importantly, as an instrument of legitimacy. It’s a fascinating hour with a man who has accumulated a lifetime of experience and is willing to share his thoughts and wisdom.

Nick Thomas talks about EarthX

Nick Thomas, our current Alliance Party state chair for Colorado, is a Director of Business Development at EarthX. EarthX is an international, nonprofit environmental forum whose purpose is to educate and inspire people to action towards a more sustainable future. Nick talks about EarthX and its upcoming expo in Dallas in April, which will host 200,000+ people and focus on providing a more energy efficient and sustainable future for all.