Episodes

We break down the Democratic Presidential Debate on October 15, 2019 with a special spotlight on Elizabeth Warren. In my opinion, Warren had a terrible night. She was dishonest, deceptive and ungrateful. This podcast covers wealth inequality, wealth taxes, morality, Medicare for All, opioids, automation, trade, Corporate America and so much more. #JohnRileyProject #DemDebate #Warren #Bernie #Tulsi #YangGang #Biden #Klobuchar #Beto #MayorPete #Kamala #TomSteyer #Booker #DemocraticSociali...

A Pleasant Valley Sunday in Poway? Not so for the Poway Protesters. A very vibrant, positive group of political activists have been protesting against President Trump in Poway for 2.5 years and now the Pro Trump group has taken over the corner across the street. We decided to check in and see what was happening. The activists demonstrate at the intersection of Twin Peaks Rd and Pomerado Rd every Sunday morning from 11am-12noon. Zeke and I had a chance to visit with the them and we learned a ...

The elections are rigged, broken, warped, distorted. Pick your descriptor. It is anything but a fair, open and democratic process. Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard just called out the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for working in cahoots with the corporate media to game the system…. And he is 100% spot on. We break down a long list of topics that showcase how the system is rigged including the Commission on Presidential Debates, voter registration suppression, cancelling prim...

A whirlwind 2-week trip that included themes of civil rights, liberty and equality. A journey taking in the sweet sounds of country music, blues, jazz and rock ‘n roll. A personal tour that experienced the expanse of Big Sky Country and the narrow alleys of Bourbon St. Special people and places that connected us with family both today and yesteryear. There was so much to share in our trip that touched on the themes we discuss frequently in this podcast including entrepreneurism, liberty, electri...

Our favorite sports analyst, David Leland, joined me to break down the San Diego Padres 2019 season. We discuss the manager vacancy and candidates we’d like to see get the gig. Then we break down the entire roster, discuss player performance, propose a variety of trades and project what the line up and pitching rotation looks like for 2020. We also touch on the new #BringBacktheBrown uniforms, the front office, Aztec football and much more. So many topics and people were mentioned inclu...

The California state government has radically changed the rules of the gig economy. Definitions of contractors and employees have changed, supposedly to offer benefits to the worker. But really, who wins? We follow the money and look at the entities that financially win with this legislation. But more importantly, we explore the idea of entrepreneurism and discuss all of the benefits of self-employment. We get into the business model of Uber, Lyft and other ride sharing and transportatio...

We explore the history of San Diego housing development over the course of the last 40 years and how we ended up in this housing crisis. It was interesting to retrace our memories of development in the 70s, 80s and 90s as communities in Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos, Scripps Ranch and Carmel Valley were developed. We then get into the idea of working from anywhere where you can use technology to work remotely 100% of the time. We discuss a variety of different scenarios, the positive impa...

Chick-fil-A had their grand opening in Poway and the city is buzzing. People love CFA’s chicken. Powegians have a new restaurant to enjoy. There are smiling faces and neighbors meeting neighbors at the big event in town. City leaders are there to share the event and get a photo op, but are they unknowingly promoting CFA? What exactly should be the role of local government when it comes to managing the local economy? Which businesses should the city promote, push aside or make illegal? We d...

Interested in ordering that custom car of your dreams? We learn the hidden secrets and what happens behind the curtain when you place a custom car order with a dealership. Corvette enthusiast, Pete Neild, and San Diego’s favorite car guy, Mike Polite, joined us in this fascinating conversation which covered so much detail of the process of how the dealerships work and how the manufacturer does business. Here in Southern California people’s identities are often tied to the car they drive....

David Leland joined me to break down the San Diego State Aztecs 2019 football season. We take a close look at Rocky Long’s squad, go through the schedule and predict the outcome of each game. We also highlight many of the Aztecs including Kyrie Woods, Matt Araiza, Mark Salazar, JR Justice, Darren Hall, Juwan Washington, Ryan Agnew, Carson Baker, TJ Sullivan. David also shares stories of watching some of these players in Palomar League play at Poway and Rancho Bernardo High Schools. We ...

A Half Billion Dollar Poway School Bond and Santee’s efforts to make Granny Flats easier and less expensive to build are the topics in episode #71 of the John Riley Project. What? Another huge school bond in Poway? We discuss the recent survey to Poway Unified parents testing their interest in a new school bond. We also get into innovative strategies of financing schools to save taxpayer dollars and help save money to use for capital improvement projects without going to the voters for more ...

In this podcast we look at three hot topics in San Diego County: San Diego Climate Change/Green Energy, Oceanside Housing and the San Diego County Republican Party. We start by examining the City of San Diego’s “Climate Change Demonstration Project” to put solar panels, temperature controls and lighting reduction monitors in 3 of their libraries as a showcase of using sustainable energy technology to achieve a net-zero energy usage. Then we jump into the City of Oceanside’s heated discussion ab...

Rancho Bernardo author, citizen and independent voter, Steve Dow, joined us to discuss his new book: 15 Reasons People Voted for Trump in 2016 and Why These Don’t Apply in 2020. We traced his roots growing up in New Jersey, reliving the 1985 Villanova Wildcats NCAA victory over Georgetown, and his degree in civil engineering and minor in peace & justice. Then we got into his career, meeting his wife Gaby Dow (a previous guest on the John Riley Project), building a family and being a father and ...

Reverend Doctors Stephen and Abigail Albert joined us to discuss Interfaith Awareness Week here in San Diego County August 11 thru the 18th. During our conversation we shared stories and experiences of people of different faiths coming together and learning from one another. We talk about Steve’s Interfaith Manual where he documents 40 different topics, such as violence and love, and then breaks down the perspective of 12 different faiths on each topic. His discovery, which served as his disser...

The Trump response in the aftermath of the El Paso and Dayton shootings was about condolences, condemnation of hate and offering proposals to prevent these incidents from occurring again. But does the Trump response and his recommended policies actually make a difference? Do Trump’s recommendations violate our civil liberties? How does his condemnation of hate match up with his rhetoric at campaign rallies? We speak about the San Diego Padres rough second half and the future of Andy Green. We ...

We take a long look at the tragedies in El Paso and Dayton where 29 people lost their life. We explore how a flawed philosophy of collectivism and nihilism plays a huge role in these terrible events in El Paso and Dayton. I spend a great deal of time showcasing how leadership matters, yet sadly we have a president that uses rhetoric that inspires these hate crimes. Then we discuss ways to impact positive change including embracing self-ownership, self-love and respect for the individual rights o...

In this Self Improvement episode, we break down 8 strategies you can put forth to improve your health. Many of the themes discussed include valuing your own life, setting boundaries, letting go, and acceptance. We talk plenty about taking care of yourself first, so you can then take care of other people. I share my own struggles on each issue and offer up a variety of success stories and personal failures. I also talk about the purpose of the John Riley Project podcast and what I am trying to a...

We break down the “Send Her Back” chant, Trump’s tweets that stoke division and fear and explore this topic more broadly within the context of our inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We also get in to the political style of The Squad, a delicatessen that is trying to capitalize on the Send Her Back rhetoric and the “Move to Somalia!” retort by many progressives. Then we dive deep into the topic of the Death Penalty as it re-emerges on the national stage. We look ...

In this episode we discuss issues of Property Rights and Equality Under the Law within the context of recent policy proposals from the Poway City Council. In the aftermath of the Poway Chabad Shooting, Mayor Steve Vaus has proposed a revision to the city code to give Places of Worship a waiver so they do not have to come before the City Council to ask for a variance to build a wall or a fence above the 6 ft limit. This ultimately will give people greater security so they can pray without...

In this episode we cover The Declaration of Independence, Justin Amash’s own declaration of independence from the Republican Party and News & Notes in DC and here in Poway. We start off with Congressman Justin Amash (I-MI) and his statement of leaving the GOP. Or, did the GOP actually leave Amash? We get into Amash’s record as a bold, principled and transparent congressman and a staunch defender of the Constitution and individual rights. We explore Amash’s criticism of the GOP and the Re...

We break down the first round of Democratic Debate including the candidates, the issues and the debate format. Who has the presidential gravitas? Who is likable? Who delivered on their brand image? Who had a necessary grasp of the policies? I give each candidate a grade based on how well they performed on stage in the Democratic Debate. My grades address their energy, likability and command on stage. I didn’t grade them as I like them. If I did, they would all be begging me to grade them on a c...

I love debate night! We break down all 20 Presidential Candidates in the Democratic Debates the next 2 nights this week. I share my top of mind thoughts on each candidate, their policies and profile. I discuss what I am looking for in the Democratic Debates each night: likeability, brand identity, positioning, leadership qualities and calmness under pressure. We talk about the format of 10 candidates in 2 hours with short soundbites vs the long form conversations we had with candidates here on t...

Jessica Johnson joined us to talk about her new book, Abandoned San Diego, that documents hidden treasures found in secret locations around San Diego that walk us through history, culture and nature. It was wonderful to discuss so many of the special locations and landmarks in Jessica’s book and her website: www.hiddensandiego.net. We talked about gold mines, haunted houses, secret caves, hidden waterfalls, partially built castles, graveyards, 19th century homes and so much more. But for me...