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Meyerside Chats: Government, Policy & CivilityAuthor: Evan Meyer
Meyerside Chats seeks to eliminate the us and them narrative and toxic polarization by praising those who lead by example, virtuous community leadership, and authentic conversation. The intent is to showcase the humanity in those that take on the often thankless jobs of public service through civil discourse, and honoring differing points of view. Cities are an essential part of our identity. Depending on where we live, we develop different attitudes, personalities, perspectives, and ways of living. But is the average citizen aware of how their cities actually operate? Likely not. Conflicts between landlords and tenants are common. Many people lack knowledge of the ordinances their leaders enact. For those residents and communities that lack communication, the gap will worsen if left unaddressed.There are deep-seated issues in many cities that prevent them from progressing. People tend to look at national-level issues rather than concentrating on issues in their own localities, and they are not aware of these severe problems. It is only as they become immersed in the country's biggest issues (which are outside of their control) that they realize what they want. But a knee-jerk response of fury or blame is useless without productive action.What can be done to correct issues like poor compost, unfair ordinances, or substandard infrastructure? The key is to shift the focus to the local level, get involved, and become part of the solution. Identifying what you can do to contribute begins with listening and trying new ideas. We must establish deeper relationships with each other to achieve more practical solutions.To find out how, host Evan leads eye-opening conversations about civic and community leadership that highlight how to stand up and make cities better. Addressing the "Us and Them" mentality, he brings people together to see eye to eye and provide their unique viewpoints. This show aims to humanize politics, break the toxic bureaucracy, and reconnect r Language: en-us Genres: Government, News, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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ICE Eviction, Healthcare Grift, and Government Transparency | Controller Mark Pinsley
Thursday, 5 February, 2026
In this episode of Meyerside Chats, I sit down with Mark Pinsley, the elected Controller of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, for a wide-ranging conversation on transparency, public trust, and how government financial systems really work when you look under the hood.Mark explains why his office uncovered unpaid rent tied to ICE’s use of county buildings, how a simple breakdown in contracts and oversight led to years of missed payments, and why fiscal accountability must remain separate from political pressure—even when the headlines get loud.We also dive deep into:Why 70% of county spending goes to law and orderHow jail phone commissions and healthcare middlemen distort incentivesThe hidden role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and how Lehigh County saved millions by auditing themWhat government efficiency efforts get right—and wrong—when compared to initiatives like DOGEWhy transparency changes behavior before laws ever doHow political labels collide with the reality of independent oversightThe rising personal risks faced by local officials—and how we lower the temperatureThis conversation isn’t about left vs. right. It’s about systems vs. incentives, people vs. power, and what it actually takes to earn public trust in government again.Video here: https://youtu.be/1Crt-mysGG800:00 Intro – What a County Controller Actually Does01:10 Evicting ICE: How the County Discovered Unpaid Rent02:25 Contracts, Oversight Failures, and Government Blind Spots04:05 Separating Fiscal Oversight from Political Polarization05:40 ICE, Community Trust, and Reporting Crime Without Fear08:50 Citizens vs Residents: How County Spending Really Works10:40 Where County Money Actually Goes (71% to Law & Order)13:30 Balancing Objectivity and Personal Convictions as Controller15:30 Public Defenders vs Prosecutors: A Budget Fairness Problem16:45 Why Mark Identifies as a Democrat (and What That Really Means)18:10 Populism, Corporate Power, and Anti-Trust Failures20:40 Why Independents Can’t Win (Yet) + Ranked Choice Voting22:10 Modernizing Government Systems: Process Before Software23:30 Tools of Oversight: Excel, Python, and Catching Errors24:45 Legacy Systems, Data Access, and Why IT Bottlenecks Matter26:00 DOGE: Good Idea, Flawed Execution28:10 Can Government Really Cut $2 Trillion?29:40 Who Should Pay More Taxes—and Why32:10 Wealth, Assets, and Buying Influence34:00 Money in Politics and the Limits of Reform36:30 Why Transparency Is the Real First Step39:15 Civics Education and Who People Blame (Wrongly)41:50 Where Mark Gets His News—and Why He Trusts None of It43:40 Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Hidden Healthcare Grift46:30 How Lehigh CoSupport the showAbout Evan Meyer Tech entrepreneur and civic leader - he founded mygovtools.org, a platform to drive government efficiency, constituent representation, and civic engagement; BeautifyEarth.com, a platform accelerating urban beautification through art; and its sister nonprofit, transforming schools in underserved areas. He also co-founded RideAmigos.com, a platform that optimizes commuter travel globally. Previously, he served as District Director for the California State Senate and led many civic initiatives in Santa Monica. Through seminars and his podcast Meyerside Chats, Evan inspires civic engagement, innovation, and cultural growth.He loves the outdoors, is a master of creative projects, is an avid muralist and musician, and finds the world fascinating in every regard.
