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
Thursday Jul 14, 2016
Thursday Jul 14, 2016
Todd Cox, Director of Criminal Justice Policy at the Center for American Progress joins Rick to talk about the tensions over race relations, police accountability and gun violence after the events in Dallas and what, if any, effect the Black Lives Matters movement will have on the situation.
Thursday Jul 14, 2016
Thursday Jul 14, 2016
Marc Stier, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center joins Rick to discuss the recently passed revenue bill passed in the General Assembly to pay for the state's budget priorities and whether or not it actually accomplishes its stated goal.
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Celeste Drake, Trade and Globalization Guru at the AFL-CIO joins Rick to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade scheme and the Democratic and Republican party's recent platform positions.
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Kevin Mahoney, Editor Zero at the Raging Chicken Press joins Rick to discuss the Pennsylvania budget set to go into law without the governor's signature and what that means to education and funding for vital investments.
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Michael Flanagan, Badassed Teachers Association Action Committee Chairperson joins Rick to discuss the highlights of their recent rally and conference in Washington DC and share his thoughts on where the battle for social justice and education will go from this point forward.
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Monday Jul 11, 2016
Denisha Jones, educator and Badassed Teachers activist joins Rick to discuss the recent rally and conference in Washington DC and explains the work that goes into building a coalition of education reformers and advocates to ensure all children get a world class education.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach joins Rick to discuss where things are with regard to the budget in Harrisburg as the deadline grows near and to talk about his plans following the recent SCOTUS decision on abortion rights
Abe Amoros, Pennsylvania Legislative Director for LIUNA joins Rick to report the latest information from the state capital as the budget deadline draws near and if there will be a budget on time this election year.
William Danvers, Senior Fellow specializing in national security at the Center for American Progress joins Rick to discuss the recently released dueling Benghazi reports coming out of the House Select Committee and to talk about what effects the Brexit vote will have on the UK, the US, and globe.
David Rolf, President of SEIU 775 and International Vice President of SEIU joins Rick to talk about his new book title: “The Fight for $15: The Right Wage for a Working America” and to dispel business myths surrounding a living wage for workers.
Andy Lazris, author of Curing Medicare: One Doctor’s View of How Our Health Care System Is Failing the Elderly and How to Fix It joins Rick to discuss his latest work on how to deal with health care for an aging population in the 21st century and why he believes things have gone wrong.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach joins Rick to discuss where things are with regard to the budget in Harrisburg as the deadline grows near and to talk about his plans following the recent SCOTUS decision on abortion rights
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Abe Amoros, Pennsylvania Legislative Director for LIUNA joins Rick to report the latest information from the state capital as the budget deadline draws near and if there will be a budget on time this election year.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
David Rolf, President of SEIU 775 and International Vice President of SEIU joins Rick to talk about his new book title: “The Fight for $15: The Right Wage for a Working America” and to dispel business myths surrounding a living wage for workers.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
William Danvers, Senior Fellow specializing in national security at the Center for American Progress joins Rick to discuss the recently released dueling Benghazi reports coming out of the House Select Committee and to talk about what effects the Brexit vote will have on the UK, the US, and globe.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016
Andy Lazris, author of Curing Medicare: One Doctor’s View of How Our Health Care System Is Failing the Elderly and How to Fix It joins Rick to discuss his latest work on how to deal with health care for an aging population in the 21st century and why he believes things have gone wrong.
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Selina Winchester, Associate Project Director for the Eastern Region Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates & PAC joins Rick to talk about today’s US Supreme Court decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt to strike down Texas' HB 2 and what this decision means for women across the nation.
Craig Harrington, Economic Policy Program Director at Media Matters for America join Rick to dispel the right wing horror stories and myths surrounding reasonable raises for minimum wage workers and discuss the economic realities of boosting the wage floor.
Kevin Mahoney, Editor Zero at the Raging Chicken Press joins Rick to follow up on reports that the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) is taking a strike authorization vote for the fall of 2016 and what this action means in the face of stalled negotiations.
Jeanette Taylor, member of Journey For Justice (J4J) joins Rick to discuss the upcoming Save Our Schools Rally on July 8 in Washington, DC and explain why she believes education is the most important issues facing the working class.
Jitu Brown, member of Journey For Justice (J4J) joins Rick to discuss the upcoming Save Our Schools Rally on July 8 in Washington, DC and explain why she believes education is the most important issues facing the working class.
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Selina Winchester, Associate Project Director for the Eastern Region Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates & PAC joins Rick to talk about today’s US Supreme Court decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt to strike down Texas' HB 2 and what this decision means for women across the nation.
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Craig Harrington, Economic Policy Program Director at Media Matters for America join Rick to dispel the right wing horror stories and myths surrounding reasonable raises for minimum wage workers and discuss the economic realities of boosting the wage floor.
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Kevin Mahoney, Editor Zero at the Raging Chicken Press joins Rick to follow up on reports that the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) is taking a strike authorization vote for the fall of 2016 and what this action means in the face of stalled negotiations.
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Jeanette Taylor, member of Journey For Justice (J4J) joins Rick to discuss the upcoming Save Our Schools Rally on July 8 in Washington, DC and explain why she believes education is the most important issues facing the working class.
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Monday Jun 27, 2016
Jitu Brown, member of Journey For Justice (J4J) joins Rick to discuss the upcoming Save Our Schools Rally on July 8 in Washington, DC and explain why she believes education is the most important issues facing the working class.
Friday Jun 24, 2016
Friday Jun 24, 2016
Dave Fillman, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 13 joins Rick to explain what’s going on in Harrisburg as the State’s Constitutionally mandated budget deadline draws near. What is the latest on Republican lead attacks on pensions, education, and health and health services, and is a bad budget on time better than a good budget late?
Aseia Glover, member of the Fight for $15 and McDonald’s employee joins Rick to call on Democratic and Republican leaders to raise the commonwealth’s minimum wage. It has been nearly a decade since the last minimum wage increase and the 1.3 million Pennsylvania’s who would be helped by an increase to $10.10 need it now.
Matías Vernengo, Professor of Economics at Bucknell University joins Rick to explain the shocking Brexit vote that has the U.K. leaving the European Union. What does it mean for the EU? The UK? And the US?
Terrance Heath, Online Producer at Campaign for America's Future joins Rick for the Wingnut Week in Review. If the House of Representatives was created by our founding fathers as a forum for the passion of the masses to rage. It surely lived up to its founding ideal.
Jeff Faux, Founding President and Distinguished Fellow with the Economic Policy Institute joins Rick to describe the potential fallout and possible outcome in light of the shocking Brexit vote that has the U.K. leaving the European Union. What does it mean for the EU? The UK? And the US?