Betsy Wright Hawkings and Erica Hoffman

This week we talk with two people - Betsy Wright Hawkings - who
has been chief of staff for numerous members of Congress, and
Erica Hoffman - a Missouri state legislative candidate running on
the Democratic ticket against a Republican incumbent.


Betsy has been chief of staff for four members of Congress,
giving her deep insight to the inner workings of our federal
government. The years she spent on "The Hill" has given her deep
insight into the inner workings of congress. She knows how things
work, and how they don't work. She spends time with us this
evening to not only describe the problems that extreme
polarization and hyperpartisanship, but to talk about how we may
fix our system and make it work for the people again.


Erica is currently running for the Missouri 96th district House
of Representatives. As a Democrat, she is challenging a
Republican incumbent. She is a former school teacher who
advocates heavily for educational issues. She's also very
involved in several environmental issues, including the fight
against the detrimental influence that CAFOs (Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operations) have on state politics. These CAFOs - also
known as "Factory Farms" - are allowed to pollute our land and
water, almost with impunity, even though they produce several
more times the bio-waste than humans. Erica speaks very plainly
and openly about the problems we face, not only locally in
Missouri, but in the nation as a whole, and what she intends to
do about them.


An inspiring intermission message is provided thanks to Dennis
Merritt Jones.