🚨 Deportation Threats Could Devastate Arizona's Economy and Families
📈 Economic Concerns Amid Deportation Crackdown 💰 Tax Cuts Favor the Wealthy at the Expense of the Middle Class 🌳 Arizona's Conservation Efforts Offer Glimmer of Hope
Based on the 11/12/24 Buckmaster Show on KVOI-1030AM.
🙊 Notable quotes from the show
"Over a million people out of Arizona would be devastating to some of our industries." - Dennis Hoffman, ASU economist
"All this tax policy does is increase and deepen the income inequality that has gone on for 40 years." - Shelly Fishman, Buckmaster Show regular
"We put some areas around nesting pairs off limits to hikers and boaters and everything to try to let them, you know, have the least amount of disturbance." - Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jeffrey Buchanan, Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner
⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…
💧 Arizona's Water Crisis: Can "Toilet-to-Tap" Solutions Save Us?
Based on the 11/5/24 Buckmaster Show on KVOI-1030AM.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🚨 The Buckmaster Show talked about some really important things happening in Arizona. 👨⚖️ The government wants to kick out a lot of immigrants, which could hurt a bunch of businesses and hurt a lot of families. 💰 The new tax plans would make rich people even richer, while middle-class families would get left behind. 🌳 But there was also some good news - Arizona is working hard to protect animals like bald eagles and their homes. 🦅 The show was really interesting and covered a lot of important topics!
🗝️ Takeaways
Up to 1 million immigrants could be deported from Arizona, devastating key industries
Tax cuts would worsen income inequality, with 100% of GDP growth going to top 10%
Arizona's bald eagle population is thriving thanks to habitat protection efforts
State conservation efforts rely on specialized funding, not general tax revenue
⏬ Jump to the 🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary based on:
📻 What They Discussed
This Buckmaster Show episode, hosted by Bill Buckmaster, aired on November 12, 2024 from the Green Things, Zocalo Village Studio. The show featured interviews with several guests, including:
Dennis Hoffman, the director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University,
Shelly Fishman, a regular guest on the show, and
Lt. General (Ret.) Jeffrey Buchanan, a 37-year Army veteran who has taken on various roles since retiring, including advising the Department of Homeland Security and serving as a commissioner on the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.
🗣️ Discussions on the Economy and Taxes
The show began with a discussion of the economy's state and the implications of the new presidential administration's policies.
Dennis Hoffman provided an optimistic outlook, noting that "the economy today is better off than some of the sentiment surveys are revealing" and that Arizona's unemployment rates are lower than pre-pandemic levels.
However, he expressed concern about the potential impact of increased deportation efforts, stating that "if his numbers are correct, we have no reason to believe that they're not correct. Over a million people out of Arizona would be devastating to some of our industries."
Shelly Fishman built on this, discussing the potential tax implications of the new administration's proposals, including the extension of the Tax Reduction Act and the impact on middle-class families and social security recipients.
Fishman noted that "all this tax policy does is increase and deepen the income inequality that has gone on for 40 years" and that "what we need to do is fix our tax policy such that this country can then find ways to enhance middle-class ability to share in the growing wealth of the country."
Fishman further elaborated on the potential effects of the administration's tax policies, explaining that "if you take a look at older adults, people who are on social security, he has talked about not taxing social security benefits. Now, for those people who are making enough so that their social security benefits are being taxed, that would be, you would think, a benefit because all of a sudden they wouldn't have to pay taxes on those social security benefits."
However, he cautioned, "the bad news is, tax revenues from social security income go right back into the Social Security Trust Fund. So that what that would do is make earlier the problem of the solvency of that trust fund."
🪖 Veteran's Day Reflections and the Future Soldier Prep Course
For the show's second half, Buckmaster spoke with Lt. General (Ret.) Jeffrey Buchanan shared his thoughts on Veterans Day and the military's new Future Soldier Prep Course.
Buchanan reflected on his own experiences, noting that he "talked many times about border security" and the challenges surrounding immigration policy. He acknowledged the complexities involved in potential deportation efforts, stating that "it would be a law enforcement operation" and that "the military is not authorized to conduct law enforcement operations."
Buchanan explained that the Future Soldier Prep Course is designed to help recruit individuals who are motivated to serve but may not meet the physical or academic requirements for enlistment.
He noted that "only twenty-three percent of American citizens are even eligible to be in the military" due to various factors, and the prep course aims to help these individuals become qualified.
Buchanan expressed cautious optimism about the program, saying, "we'll have to wait and see. OK, so what are the results of this first enlistment and how well did these people assimilate into the army and adopt the army values as their own?"
🦅 Arizona's Thriving Bald Eagle Population
The conversation then turned to Arizona's bald eagle population, which General Buchanan discussed as part of his role on the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.
Buckmaster expressed surprise that Arizona has a substantial bald eagle population, noting that many people associate the birds with the Pacific Northwest. Buchanan confirmed that Arizona is home to between 100 and 200 bald eagles, with the state recently reaching a record high of 119 eggs laid.
Buchanan praised the state's efforts to protect the bald eagle habitat, stating, "we put some areas around nesting pairs off limits to hikers and boaters and everything to try to let them, you know, have the least amount of disturbance."
He also discussed the commission's recent $24.5 million grant from the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resource Conservation Service, which will be used to manage habitats and eliminate invasive species across the state.
Buchanan emphasized the importance of this funding, noting that "we get zero dollars from the general, from the general taxes in the state. So mostly it's funded by licensed sales for hunters and anglers. And we get a lot of grants from the federal government based on two acts."
🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary
🚨 Deportation Threats Could Devastate Arizona's Economy and Families
As the new administration takes office, Tucson's Buckmaster Show has exposed the dangerous realities behind their draconian immigration policies.
Arizona State University economist Dennis Hoffman delivered a dire warning: up to 1 million immigrants could be deported from our state, which would be "devastating" for critical industries like construction and hospitality.
Hoffman's assessment aligns with the harsh crackdown promised by the incoming president. Emboldened by the passage of Proposition 314, which authorizes local police to act as immigration agents, the new administration is poised to rip apart families and communities across the Southwest.
"It would be devastating for the industries where these people work," Hoffman stated bluntly. "That would be construction and hospitality industries writ large, but then across the entire economy."
This callous disregard for human lives is par for the course for an administration steeped in white nationalist ideology. Their sole focus seems to be appeasing a shrinking base of xenophobic voters, even if it means sacrificing the livelihoods of hardworking Arizonans.
🤑 Trickle-Down Economics Entrench Wealth Inequality
In addition to the looming deportation crisis, the Buckmaster Show also shed light on the administration's misguided tax proposals.
According to regular guest Shelly Fishman, extending Trump-era tax cuts would only exacerbate the yawning wealth gap that has plagued this country for decades.
"All this tax policy does is increase and deepen the income inequality that has gone on for 40 years," Fishman lamented. He noted that a staggering 100% of GDP growth since the 1980s has gone to the top 10% of earners, leaving the middle class behind.
Fishman's analysis debunks the tired myth of "trickle-down economics." Rather than spurring broad-based prosperity, these regressive policies have concentrated wealth in the hands of the elite while impoverishing working families.
As Fishman put it, "What we need to do is fix our tax policy such that this country can then find ways to enhance the middle-class ability to share in the growing wealth of the country."
Instead, the new administration seems intent on doubling down on the failed dogma of unfettered capitalism. Their tax plan would not only reward the rich but also undermine the solvency of Social Security, a lifeline for seniors and the disabled.
🦅 Protecting Arizona's Natural Wonders
Amidst these disturbing revelations, the Buckmaster Show provided a glimmer of hope in the form of Arizona's thriving bald eagle population.
As Lt. General (Ret.) Jeffrey Buchanan explained, the state is home to between 100 and 200 of these majestic birds, a remarkable conservation success story.
Buchanan, who serves on the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, detailed the state's efforts to safeguard bald eagle habitats, including restricting access to nesting areas. This proactive approach starkly contrasts the environmental destruction unleashed by the Trump administration.
Moreover, the commission recently secured a $24.5 million grant to expand habitat management and combat invasive species across Arizona. Buchanan emphasized that this funding is critical, as the agency receives "zero dollars from the general, from the general taxes in the state."
In an era of climate change and biodiversity loss, these conservation victories are a testament to the power of grassroots organizing and community-driven stewardship. As the new administration takes the reins, we must remain vigilant in defending Arizona's natural wonders from the forces of greed and exploitation.
The Buckmaster Show has laid bare the stark choices facing our state and nation. Will we succumb to the politics of fear and division, or will we choose a path of justice, equity, and sustainability?
The future of our communities, environment, and democracy hangs in the balance.
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👯 People Mentioned
Dennis Hoffman: ASU economist who warned of devastating impacts from mass deportations in Arizona
Shelly Fishman: Buckmaster Show regular who criticized tax policies that entrench wealth inequality
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jeffrey Buchanan: Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner who discussed the state's conservation efforts, including protecting bald eagle habitats