By working people. For working people. Welcome to The Rick Smith Show. Working Americans are tired of listening to think tank approved corporate news and commentary. They want a direct, honest approach to the issues that matter, so this is what The Rick Smith Show provides. No puppets. No focus groups. No talking points.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 29, 2017
Wednesday Mar 29, 2017
David Yankovich, political commentator and activist joins Rick to take a look back at the recent Republican failures to advance their ideological aims and to explain how citizens can plan a path forward to take back the levels of power in 2018 and beyond.
Wednesday Mar 29, 2017
Wednesday Mar 29, 2017
Andrea Chalupa, Journalist & Author, Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm and Sarah Kendzior, political writer and commentator join Rick in the big coming out announcement to talk about what Americans need to know about Russia’s involvement in American elections and discuss how high the possible Russian blackmail scheme go in government leadership.
Wednesday Mar 29, 2017
Wednesday Mar 29, 2017
March Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center joins Rick to discuss where the Republican Repeal and Replace scheme fell short and explain what needs to be done to fix and strengthen the Affordable Care Act.
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Sarah Kendzior, writer and political commentator joins Rick to discuss recent revelations by FBI Director Comey that there is an ongoing investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government and yesterday’s felonious leak from House Intelligence Chairman Nunes to the White House.
Abe Amoros, Pennsylvania Legislative Director for LIUNA joins Rick to discuss the need for massive infrastructure investment in Pennsylvania in the aftermath of a giant sinkhole almost swallowing a bus in the state’s capital. Will it take a state legislator being swallowed by a sinkhole to get anything done.
Thomas Huelskoetter, Policy Analyst for the Health Policy team at the Center for American Progress joins Rick to discuss their recent report on the massive job loss that will be caused by the Republican repeal plan if it is passed and put into law.
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Sarah Kendzior, writer and political commentator joins Rick to discuss recent revelations by FBI Director Comey that there is an ongoing investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government and yesterday’s felonious leak from House Intelligence Chairman Nunes to the White House.
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Abe Amoros, Pennsylvania Legislative Director for LIUNA joins Rick to discuss the need for massive infrastructure investment in Pennsylvania in the aftermath of a giant sinkhole almost swallowing a bus in the state’s capital. Will it take a state legislator being swallowed by a sinkhole to get anything done.
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Thomas Huelskoetter, Policy Analyst for the Health Policy team at the Center for American Progress joins Rick to discuss their recent report on the massive job loss that will be caused by the Republican repeal plan if it is passed and put into law.
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Thursday Mar 23, 2017
Jerry Oleksiak, PSEA President joins Rick to share his organization’s plan to reign in the high stakes standardized tests children in Pennsylvania public schools are subjected, ways to use testing as a learning tool, and to refocus education on learning and not teaching to the test.
Irwin Aronson, Labor Attorney joins Rick to discuss his opposition to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court and explain why working people should be extremely weary of someone so extreme on worker’s issues being granted a lifetime on the highest court in the land.
Dr. Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director of the Keystone Research Center joins Rick to rollout the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center’s “Fair Share Tax” plan that will being an additional $2 billion into the state’s coffers to paid for education, Health and Human services, pave roads, and fill the states massive budget hole without raising taxes on working families.
Wednesday Mar 22, 2017
Wednesday Mar 22, 2017
Jerry Oleksiak, PSEA President joins Rick to share his organization’s plan to reign in the high stakes standardized tests children in Pennsylvania public schools are subjected, ways to use testing as a learning tool, and to refocus education on learning and not teaching to the test.
Wednesday Mar 22, 2017
Wednesday Mar 22, 2017
Irwin Aronson, Labor Attorney joins Rick to discuss his opposition to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court and explain why working people should be extremely weary of someone so extreme on worker’s issues being granted a lifetime on the highest court in the land.
Wednesday Mar 22, 2017
Wednesday Mar 22, 2017
Dr. Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director of the Keystone Research Center joins Rick to rollout the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center’s “Fair Share Tax” plan that will being an additional $2 billion into the state’s coffers to paid for education, Health and Human services, pave roads, and fill the states massive budget hole without raising taxes on working families.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
David Yankovich, writer and political commentator joins Rick to discuss the revelation that there is an ongoing investigation into “collaboration” between the Trump campaign and the Russian government and what this could mean for the Trump presidency.
John Neurohr, co-chair of Why Courts Matters Pennsylvania joins Rick to talk about the opening session of the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court and what tone the confirmation process may take. Will Democrats make a stand?
Kate Sacco, First Grade Teacher and Kate with a Keyboard education blogger joins Rick to discuss her recent article titled the “Ten Truths About Teaching” and explain what led her to write it and what she hopes people will take from it.
Tara May Crawford, mother of a teacher joins Rick to talk about her recent article “From the Mothers (Fathers, Husbands, Wives) of Teachers” and explain what she sees her daughter endure as a teacher and what she wants people who attack teachers to know about the work her daughter and other teachers do every day.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
David Yankovich, writer and political commentator joins Rick to discuss the revelation that there is an ongoing investigation into “collaboration” between the Trump campaign and the Russian government and what this could mean for the Trump presidency.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
John Neurohr, co-chair of Why Courts Matters Pennsylvania joins Rick to talk about the opening session of the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court and what tone the confirmation process may take. Will Democrats make a stand?
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Kate Sacco, First Grade Teacher and Kate with a Keyboard education blogger joins Rick to discuss her recent article titled the “Ten Truths About Teaching” and explain what led her to write it and what she hopes people will take from it.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tara May Crawford, mother of a teacher joins Rick to talk about her recent article “From the Mothers (Fathers, Husbands, Wives) of Teachers” and explain what she sees her daughter endure as a teacher and what she wants people who attack teachers to know about the work her daughter and other teachers do every day.
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Propane Jane is back as she joins Rick to examine the most recent public temper tantrum by the President of the United States as he refused to shake hands with the leader of Germany, what this type of behavior means for the world, and how to address these tantrums when a nap, ice cream and jello, and a diaper change just isn’t enough.
Ronald Baker, Strategic Campaign Coordinator for the BCTGM International Union joins Rick to discuss the upcoming one year anniversary of hundreds of workers being kicked to the curb in Chicago as global food conglomerate Mondelēz International moved their plant to Mexico, and with the plant the iconic Oreo cookie, and what his union is doing to stand up to this Goliath.
Craig Harrington, Director of the Economic Policy Program at Media Matters for America joins Rick to talk Russia, Russia, Russia as the US House of Representative holds a hearing into Russian involvement into the November election and whether or not the Trump campaign may have colluded or coordinated with the Russians.
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Propane Jane is back as she joins Rick to examine the most recent public temper tantrum by the President of the United States as he refused to shake hands with the leader of Germany, what this type of behavior means for the world, and how to address these tantrums when a nap, ice cream and jello, and a diaper change just isn’t enough.
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Ronald Baker, Strategic Campaign Coordinator for the BCTGM International Union joins Rick to discuss the upcoming one year anniversary of hundreds of workers being kicked to the curb in Chicago as global food conglomerate Mondelēz International moved their plant to Mexico, and with the plant the iconic Oreo cookie, and what his union is doing to stand up to this Goliath.
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Craig Harrington, Director of the Economic Policy Program at Media Matters for America joins Rick to talk Russia, Russia, Russia as the US House of Representative holds a hearing into Russian involvement into the November election and whether or not the Trump campaign may have colluded or coordinated with the Russians.