Jason Rantz talks about his upcoming book, “What’s Killing America, Inside the Radical Left’s Destruction of our Cities.”

Our Newsmaker Interview is with KTTH Radio Host (3:00PM – 7:00PM Daily), FOX News contributor, and new author Jason Rantz.  His first book, “What’s Killing America, Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of our Cities,” will be released on Tuesday, September 26^th (you can pre-order now wherever you purchase books, including at Amazon).  In the book Rantz effectively communicates the history and the results of many failed

liberal policies. While Seattle residents have seen firsthand how crime, homelessness, drug addiction, and taxes have skyrocketed under one-party liberal control, Rantz described how this has also occurred in other large American cities and that liberals are now spreading their failed policies to smaller communities.  

In his interview, Rantz provided a summary of the topics he detailed in his book and what he hoped to accomplish by writing it. He detailed how the members of the Radical Left use their hours of spare time to push their policies and what moderates and conservatives can do to fight back.  Rantz shared his views on why there is a double standard in the media that allows liberals to not be held accountable for their actions.  He described why the liberals’ use of “disproportionality” arguments in racial discussions is “lazy and misleading.”  Rantz explained why “housing first” is  terrible policy to reduce homelessness and why liberal studies on Universal Basic Income are nearly always flawed. Finally he shared his thoughts on his own future and if there could be more books in the coming years.

 

Your book What’s Killing America, Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of our Cities comes out in just over a week (Tuesday, September 26^th).  What led you to write this book? What are you hoping people will take from reading it?

I wrote this book primarily because local media around the country does a poor job connecting the dots on negative outcomes and political choices. As I was discussing the issues destroying big cities (homelessness, crime, drugs, burdensome taxes, immigration, etc.) for my radio show and on Fox News, I noticed the themes present in Democrat-run cities. But when I’d look up local stories in, say, San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, or D.C., much like in Seattle, the stories are transactional. They tell you what happens based on some press release or a quote from a lawmaker, but then move on. But we can point to policies and strategies that are making life so difficult for many of us who live in big cities.

But as alarming, the big-city Democrat policies are spreading to smaller communities that thought they were immune to the problems of Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Philadelphia. And I think it’s catching a lot of people off guard.

We’ve ceded so much power to the Radical Left and we shouldn’t. But to be able to stop them, we must know why they think what they think, explain how they operate, and then propose ideas that work and be specific about why what they’re doing isn’t working. What’s Killing America aims to do just that.

Too many of us also live in echo chambers. There’s a lot going on in cities outside of Washington. This book goes coast to coast to ensure we have a more detailed understanding of the situation this country finds itself in.

 

In the book you discussed the fact that while most people are busy going to work, taking care of their families, and doing chores, those on the Radical Left use their large amount of spare time to protest, argue on social media, and stating their views at local hearings. Thus the process to determine government policies discriminates against those who lead responsible lives. Is this a flaw in the democratic process or is there something that can be done to reduce the impact of those who simply have more spare time?

It’s not a flaw – it’s an opportunity to be more engaged. The people with the most fulfilling lives (whether that’s due to family, work, charitable efforts, religion, etc.) have the most to lose when cities get overrun by radicals. They have a lot of free time, but also few life experiences and a dearth of wisdom. Our lives wouldn’t be as fulfilling if we had a ton of spare time. But it’s important to make it and use our experiences to push back on bad policy and focus on pushing for what is best for our families and communities.

 

You described how several locally elected officials did not seek a peaceful end of the 2020 Seattle riots, but instead made “incendiary” comments that encouraged more violence. Democrat state politicians like Gov. Jay Inslee and AG Bob Ferguson went into hiding to avoid making comments that might upset their progressive supporters during an election year. Why hasn’t there been more condemnation in the mainstream media (who you labeled as “uncurious”) of the liberal politicians’ actions?  Hasn’t the media’s silence create an environment where more political violence will take place in the future?

Local media outlets rely on access to politicians in power. Reporters need interviews and soundbites; they need tips and need to be called on at press conferences. Lawmakers in cities, counties or states with one-party rule (like we have here) can cut reporters off and stop them from being able to do their jobs, so those reporters relent and end up giving favorable coverage to the people they need to stay on good terms with.

Beyond that, many people in the media are left-wing and don’t see a problem with what’s going on. There are some great reporters who are the exception, but those are few and far between. Whether writing What’s Killing America or hosting my talk show on KTTH, I do not need access to politicians (on either side of the aisle) to do my job. So I’m able to provide my honest analysis and I think, in part, it’s why my career has grown.

 

You have an excellent chapter on the many failures of the “housing first” philosophy to reduce homelessness. It is the philosophy of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority where more people are dying than find permanent housing. Why are liberals so committed to a political philosophy that is an obvious failure to anyone who reads at the data?

“Housing first” is the perfect left-wing model: it offers absolutely zero judgment on the homeless, provides endless tax dollars to left-wing groups, and it lets left-wingers dictate how some people live. It’s the embodiment of left-wing ideology. I have an entire chapter on Salt Lake City’s failed housing first approach because to this day we are told by the Radical Left that their experiences prove it works. But it doesn’t. Not even close. Most people don’t know that, so I got a lot of enjoyment out of researching and writing that chapter. People need to know what’s happening and why it’s failing. What’s Killing America does that.

 

You have another chapter about the inaccuracies of studies used by liberals who are promoting Universal Basic Income policies. What did you find wrong with the data and what should people know about the arguments used to promote the liberals’ next bigger government, higher taxes program?

Universal Basic Income studies in this country are usually bunk because they’re designed to show success. But when you dive into the data (which is boring, so I make it interesting and do the work so you don’t have to), it paints a pretty clear picture: it doesn’t work if the intent is to get people to become more self-sustaining. There is legitimate data but it comes from out of this country – but it matches a lot of the negative impacts we’re seeing in this country. What’s Killing America dives into the UBI concept unlike other books and cuts through the left-wing propaganda. And this will be a coming fight that the Radical Left pursues – they’re already doing it across the country, including here in Washington. We need to be ready and armed with facts.

 

On racial issues, you discussed the liberal argument that if a law negatively impacts more people of color then it is must be racist and should be removed or ignored. You demonstrated that this argument is often used to dismantle drug laws.  You counter this belief by stating that, “Disproportionality arguments, however, are as lazy as they are misleading.”  Why do you believe this?

Radical Left lawmakers and activists say if something “disproportionately impacts people of color,” then it’s racist. They use it when discussing drug laws, admission rates, voting access, etc. But it’s incredibly lazy. The data they’re using just tells you the what but not the why. If you’re going to claim something is racist, you have to explain why it’s racist. Why, for example, are more black people in jail for gang enhancements than whites? It’s simple: the demographics of gangs have a much higher representation of black people than white people.

The Radical Left stops at the data – they see a number that’s “disproportionate” and then decide to end gang enhancements. That’s very obviously dangerous. The better question is why are there more black people than white people joining gangs. I’d rather get them out of gangs (or prevent them from joining to begin with) than go easy on a criminal gang member who is murdering or assaulting people. That’s a benefit for everyone.

 

You have always been a very prolific writer, posting many articles every week on MyNorthwest.  How was writing a book different from your normal writing activity?  Would you like to write more books in the future?  If so, do you have topics in mind?

Writing What’s Killing America wasn’t all that different from writing my articles – it was just much longer! I spent a lot of time writing, then going back and editing. I do preliminary research to help craft my chapters, then research additional issues as I write (depending on where my mind takes me). Then, I do a final edit.

I also almost never write about national issues for MyNorthwest and KTTH, so it was interesting for me to be able to apply my worldview and experiences to what’s happening elsewhere. Plus, a book allowed me to dive deeper into issues whereas for articles, regardless of where I’m publishing them, there’s usually a word count maximum.

I have a follow-up book in mind that I’ll keep a secret for now. I can’t write a second book if this first one doesn’t do well. Pre-orders and week one sales are of paramount importance to how well a book does. It’s already more difficult for conservative authors to get mainstream media attention or make bestseller lists. Look at what’s happened to Mark Levin and Greg Gutfeld lately. I need as many people as possible to buy a hardcover of What’s Killing America and to tell friends about the book. Heck, buy one for a liberal friend of yours. Maybe they’ll see the light?

If you’re reading this interview, this book is for you – I think you’ll learn a lot, be entertained through my snarky presentation, and be better equipped to start making change in your community, whether you live in Seattle, Ferndale, Spokane or Kelso.

 

To pre-order “What’s Killing America, Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of our Cities” (hard cover & Kindle) on Amazon by clicking here.

You can follow Jason Rantz on Twitter by clicking here.

You can read his KTTH posts on local events and breaking news by clicking here.