🌵 Once-a-Year Cactus Magic Under Strawberry Moon Upstaged by Year-Round Political Disasters | BUCKMASTER
As desert blooms synchronized under the full moon, economists warned of trade war chaos destroying campaign promises
Based on the Buckmaster Show for 6/10/25, a daily radio show in Tucson, AZ, interviewing local newsmakers. Analysis and opinions are my own.
“The [‘big, beautiful’] bill sent to the Senate from the House is HR1. Now, that's the only bill since January 20th that has been passed by this House of Representatives."
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
Imagine if your school decided to solve its budget problems by firing all the teachers 🧑🏫, closing the library 📚, and making lunch cost twice as much 🍴—that's basically what's happening to America right now.
On a radio show 📻 in Arizona, some really smart people 🧠 explained how the government is making decisions that sound good but actually make problems worse 🏚️. They're starting trade wars that will make everything more expensive 💸 (the opposite of what they promised), cutting funding for NASA 🚀 just when we might discover alien life 👽, and ignoring scientists while California keeps catching fire 🔥 and rivers keep drying up 💧.
The only good news came from water conservation experts 🌊 who proved that when government actually listens to scientists 🧪 and plans for the future ⏳, amazing things happen—like bringing fish back from near-extinction 🐟. It's like watching someone take apart a perfectly good bicycle 🚲 because they don't like the color, then wondering why they can't ride to school anymore 🤔.
🗝️ Takeaways
🔥 Current trade war policies will cause sustained inflation, contradicting campaign promises to reduce prices
💸 The House has passed only one bill (HR1) in five months, potentially adding $2-5 trillion to the deficit
🌊 Arizona's water conservation programs show government can work when allowed to function long-term
🧠 NASA budget cuts to 1961 levels threaten America's leadership in space exploration and scientific discovery
🏃♂️ Top economists and financial experts are literally planning geographic escapes from policies they're analyzing
🐟 Multi-Species Conservation Program successfully restored 400,000 native fish and 7,000 acres of habitat
⏰ Colorado River negotiations face an 18-month deadline with little progress toward a sustainable agreement
🇨🇳 China is positioned to dominate space exploration if America continues scientific funding cuts
When Cacti Bloom and Budgets Boom: A Desert Deep-Dive into Economic Entropy
While the famous Queen of the Night staged their synchronized spectacular under the Strawberry Moon—143 blooms erupting in one lucky listener's backyard like nature's own celestial celebration of the year's singular nocturnal flowering phenomenon—the Buckmaster Show served up a sobering smorgasbord of economic education that would make even the most resilient desert dweller reach for shade. Because apparently, even cacti understand coordination better than Congress.
Bill Buckmaster's June 10th broadcast brought together a quartet of truth-tellers whose collective wisdom painted a picture both troubling and transformative, like watching a beautiful sunset while your house burns down behind you.
Because nothing says "noon motivation" quite like learning how your government is systematically dismantling the very foundations of American prosperity while you're sipping your coffee and admiring the desert's annual botanical bonanza that happens only once per year under the mystical Strawberry Moon.
From Arizona State University's ivory towers to the corridors of water conservation power, Tuesday's lineup featured:
Dr. Dennis Hoffman (ASU's economics maven calling from his Pacific Northwest paradise),
Financial advisor Shelly Fishman (planning his own Canadian escape),
Karen Cesare from the Central Arizona Project (fighting the good fight for desert survival), and
Planetary scientist Dr. Mark Sykes (literally wearing a Scottish kilt because apparently even scientists need backup citizenship plans).
Their conversations cascaded from trade war tribulations to water woes, with a side of scientific sabotage that would make any rational person question whether we're living in a democracy or a deliberate demolition project.
Dr. Dennis Hoffman: Economic Cassandra Calling from Cool Country
Dialing in from Issaquah, Washington—where it was a delightful 72 degrees while Arizona prepared for its annual attempt at human roasting—Dr. Hoffman delivered devastating diagnoses of our current economic experiment with the precision of a surgeon and the urgency of an emergency room physician watching a patient flatline.
Nothing quite captures the American dream like having our state's top economist literally flee to another state to escape the heat while explaining how federal policy is about to make everything else equally unbearable.
The professor's assessment of the tariff tempest was particularly pointed: "If tariffs are up somewhere between 10 and 50%, we get a huge number of products from China... It's going to feel like this kind of steady increase in prices as we go forward."
Translation for those keeping score at home: that "beautiful" trade war isn't just ugly—it's potentially catastrophic for the very people who voted to escape inflation's grip. Ah, the sweet irony of voting against inflation by electing policies guaranteed to inflate prices. It's like hiring an arsonist as your fire chief.
Hoffman's perplexity was palpable when discussing the administration's apparent appetite for economic self-sabotage: "The question most economists ask is, to what end are we doing this to ourselves?"
Indeed, when your solution to inflation involves policies guaranteed to increase prices, one wonders if the strategy sessions occur in an alternate dimension where basic economics works in reverse.
The economist continued with barely concealed frustration: "There is nothing, nothing that's going on in Washington, D.C., under the current administration that will help our battle against inflation. In fact, everything kind of goes in the opposite direction."
It's almost impressive how consistently they've managed to choose the exact opposite of what actual economists recommend. It's like having a medical condition and deliberately seeking advice from someone who flunked out of clown college.
Perhaps most devastating was Hoffman's observation about international students—Arizona's golden geese of educational export.
"International students are a huge...it's actually an export industry. We export education services to international students. They bring in huge amounts of money. They assimilate into...many of them assimilate into the economy. They form their own businesses."
These intellectual immigrants don't just bring tuition dollars; they bring innovation, entrepreneurship, and that pesky thing called diversity of thought. But hey, who needs the next Elon Musk or Google founders when you can have ideological purity and economic stagnation?
The professor's concern about business planning under such chaotic conditions hit home for anyone trying to navigate this economic minefield:
"It's just a super challenge for you. And the sad part, Bill, is when we had COVID, that was a real unknown disaster, and we tried our best to navigate it... This one, we're leaving a lot of marks on the economy, and the question most economists ask is, to what end are we doing this to ourselves?"
Shelly Fishman: Following the Money Trail to Fiscal Fantasyland
Financial advisor Shelly Fishman, fresh from planning his own Canadian escape route (because even money mavens know when to diversify geographically), delivered a masterclass in fiscal futility that would make a casino operator blush with shame. His dissection of the so-called "big beautiful bill" revealed the ugly truth beneath the pretty packaging, like discovering your dream house is built on a sinkhole.
Fishman's frustration cut through the political propaganda with surgical precision:
"We were already the top, we are the top economy in the world with an economy that is performing better than just about any other economy in the world... if it ain't broke, why screw it up?" It's almost like someone looked at America's economic success and thought, "You know what this needs? More chaos and less logic."
The advisor's arithmetic was alarmingly accurate when discussing the House's singular legislative achievement:
"The bill that was sent over to the Senate from the House is HR1. Now, that's the only bill since January 20th that has been passed by this House of Representatives."
One bill. In five months. At this rate, they'll pass fewer laws than a small town city council with a drinking problem.
His analysis of the deficit-ballooning bill was particularly damning:
"Every reasonable, rational economist, both in the private sector and in the public sector, has said that this bill will cost us in the two to five trillion dollar range over 10 years."
That's trillion with a T, folks—not the kind of money you find in cryptocurrency crashes or under couch cushions. But who needs fiscal responsibility when you can have the fleeting satisfaction of telling your base exactly what they want to hear?
Most mordantly, Fishman highlighted the historical hollowness of Republican revenue rhetoric:
"Republicans have been talking about reducing taxes and making up for the revenue because the economy will grow faster. That has never happened. In fact, it's been the opposite. Every time they reduce taxes, GDP goes down, and that's been proven and documented over the past 20 years."
Yet here we are, performing the same supply-side snake oil dance like it's Groundhog Day, but with more economic destruction.
His concerns about international implications struck at the heart of America's global standing:
"If we have a period of the next three years where growth is not under 3% but under 2%, that's a problem for us. And with our credit rating reduced and with the walls we're building around what was a very successful worldwide economic system, then how do you plan for it?"
Karen Cesare: Water Warriors Fighting the Good Fight
In a refreshing oasis of actual competence amid the desert of governmental dysfunction, Karen Cesare brought genuine good news from the Central Arizona Project. Her discussion of the Multi-Species Conservation Program's 20-year anniversary proved that government can occasionally get things gloriously right—when it's allowed to function without political interference for more than five minutes.
Cesare's pride in the program's achievements was both palpable and perfectly justified:
"The program started in 2005 in response to a growing number of species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act... So far, we've been able to create some marsh, some backwater areas, and more than 400,000 native fish have been stocked back in the river."
Four hundred thousand fish! It's amazing what happens when scientists are allowed to science without politicians mansplaining ecology.
The conservation success story extended beyond aquatic life:
"Some of the species that have reappeared or come back to the Colorado River include some birds like the summer tanager and yellow-billed cuckoo, and also the northern Mexican garter snake." Who knew that when you restore habitat, wildlife actually returns? It's almost like environmental scientists knew what they were talking about all along.
Her description of transformed landscapes painted a picture of hope: "One example is the Yuma East Wetlands. And that was a previously overrun with non-native invasive species and also served as just a general dumping ground. Now it's a mosaic of marshland that serves as a habitat and beautiful recreation area for residents and visitors." Proof that with adequate funding and long-term thinking, we can actually fix things instead of just breaking them more efficiently.
The underground storage incentive program revealed bureaucratic brilliance in action: "CAGRD invites home builders in our member lands and member service areas to apply for rebates of $1,000 for each new house that earns a water sense 2.0 certification... a home built to water sense certification uses 30% less water than a typical construction home." It's almost like offering incentives for good behavior works better than punishing people for existing.
Yet the specter of Colorado River negotiations loomed large, with Caesar acknowledging the ticking clock: "All of the guidelines that we are working under expire at the end of next year. So we're now down to 18 months before all of the guidelines expire and everybody's been working with not a lot to show for it for a while." Her measured optimism about ongoing negotiations felt like diplomatic speak for "we're still circling the drain, but at least we're circling together."
Dr. Mark Sykes: When Science Becomes a Four-Letter Word
Perhaps no guest embodied the show's underlying themes of American decline quite like Dr. Mark Sykes, resplendent in his Scottish kilt (because apparently even scientists need backup citizenship plans) and armed with cosmic concerns that would make Carl Sagan weep. The planetary scientist's warnings about NASA's budget butchery bordered on the apocalyptic—and rightly so.
Nothing says "Make America Great Again" quite like cutting the budget for the agency that literally made America great in space exploration. It's like deciding to demolish the Golden Gate Bridge because bridges are too expensive.
Sykes didn't sugar-coat the scientific sabotage: "If this budget is passed, then America... It's what you call an extinction-level event."
When funding gets slashed to 1961 levels—pre-Kennedy moon shot commitment—we're not just abandoning leadership; we're committing intellectual suicide on a galactic scale.
"If we are allowed the opportunity, I would say that we would be positioned, America would be positioned to discover life elsewhere in the universe before the end of this decade."
But why discover alien life when you can alienate everyone on Earth instead?
His frustration with the politicization of science cut deep: "It's terrible that people look down on us so much and it's been politicized so much and being presented as like another viewpoint or something, which it's not, it's a method." Apparently, the scientific method is now considered just another opinion, like preferring chocolate over vanilla or thinking the Earth is round.
The brain drain Sykes described represents a particularly perverse form of self-imposed exile: "We're going to have a brain drain... within a few years, people are going to talk about our Americans and their Americans, because of all the people that will be leaving us all, all of our best minds." It's like watching your house's best architects flee while you hire demolition experts to design the kitchen renovation.
His assessment of the competition was stark: "China's doing a great job... their engineering, I've met with them over in Beijing, had conversations with the leadership and... yeah, we do this and they will dominate space exploration for the rest of the century." Nothing quite captures American exceptionalism like deliberately ensuring we become exceptionally mediocre.
Desert Reflections: When Synchronicity Meets Sabotage
Tuesday's show crystallized a central contradiction of our current moment: while nature demonstrates stunning coordination—those synchronized cactus blooms erupting across Tucson like a desert flash mob—human institutions seem determined to demonstrate spectacular dysfunction. From trade wars that harm the traders to budget cuts that cripple our competitive advantage, we're witnessing governance by grievance rather than guidance by wisdom.
It's almost poetic that cacti—plants literally designed to survive in harsh, hostile environments—can coordinate better than the supposedly most advanced democracy on Earth.
The conversations revealed a pattern of self-sabotage so consistent it seems almost deliberate: economists warning about inflation while implementing inflationary policies, scientists positioned to discover alien life while having their funding slashed to pre-space age levels, and financial experts watching trillion-dollar bills sail through Congress like paper airplanes made of taxpayer money.
Yet amid the economic entropy and scientific sabotage, Caesar's conservation successes remind us that collective action can create lasting positive change. The Multi-Species Conservation Program proves that long-term thinking, adequate funding, and collaborative partnerships can restore what seemed irretrievably lost. If we can bring back razorback suckers and yellow-billed cuckoos, surely we can resurrect common sense in governance.
The irony wasn't lost that while Arizona faces extreme heat and water challenges, its own economist has literally relocated to Washington state for relief, its financial advisors are planning Canadian escapes, and its scientists are contemplating European opportunities. When the experts are making exit strategies, maybe it's time to listen to their entrance advice.
A message of hope: Like those magnificent cactus blooms that emerged overnight across Tucson—nature's reminder that beauty and resilience can flourish even in the harshest conditions—transformation is still possible. The same collaborative spirit that restored native fish to the Colorado River and created 7,000 acres of thriving habitat can address our economic and scientific challenges.
We can support journalism that holds power accountable, vote for representatives who prioritize evidence over ideology, and engage in the difficult work of democracy. The desert teaches patience and adaptation; perhaps it's time we learned those lessons before it's too late.
Subscribe to Three Sonorans Substack to keep this vital reporting and analysis coming, because informed citizens are democracy's best defense against manufactured chaos.
What Do You Think?
How do we reconcile short-term political posturing with long-term economic and environmental necessities? Can a democracy committed to quarterly thinking address challenges that require generational planning? What will it take to restore science-based policy-making to American governance? Share your thoughts below—whether you're pondering from a desert garden or contemplating from cooler climes, your voice matters in this conversation about our collective future.
Quotes:
Dr. Dennis Hoffman (ASU Economist): "There is nothing, nothing that's going on in Washington, D.C., under the current administration that will help our battle against inflation. In fact, everything kind of goes in the opposite direction."
Shelly Fishman (Financial Advisor): "Every time they reduce taxes, GDP goes down, and that's been proven and documented over the past 20 years."
Dr. Mark Sykes (Planetary Scientist): "If this budget is passed, then America... It's what you call an extinction-level event."
Shelly Fishman: "The only bill since January 20th that has been passed by this House of Representatives" (referring to HR1 after 5 months)
Dr. Dennis Hoffman: "The question most economists ask is, to what end are we doing this to ourselves?"
Dr. Mark Sykes: "We're going to have a brain drain... people are going to talk about our Americans and their Americans"
People Mentioned:
Bill Buckmaster - Radio host, 37 years in Tucson broadcasting, 15th year of Buckmaster Show
Dr. Dennis Hoffman - ASU economics professor, director of Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research, calling from Issaquah, Washington
Shelly Fishman - Financial advisor and business consultant, planning Alaska vacation via Vancouver
Karen Cesare - Pima County Representative on Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board
Dr. Mark Sykes - Senior scientist at Planetary Science Institute, former CEO/director, wearing Scottish McClain kilt
John - Show engineer/producer "on the other side of the glass"
Elon Musk - Referenced as former international student, Fishman says "I'm not a big fan of Elon Musk, but I think he got it right (regarding HR1)."
Donald Trump - Referenced throughout regarding current administration policies
Joe Biden - Referenced regarding previous administration's economic performance
Have a scoop or a story you want us to follow up on? Send us a message!
Water shortages loom imminent. We have NO viable conservation plans on a national level, and the notion that we can "always" rely on the aquifers has been exposed as nonsense.
The other serious problem is that certain elements in our government (i.e., the ReThuglicans in charge) believe that it does not matter what happens to the environment, as long as certain corporations increase their obscene profits...