First hour: Is campaign finance misunderstood?
Second hour: The story of Supernatural Lake
When we talk about campaign finance, those in favor of reform say corporate money in politics threatens democracy. But two social scientists say the influence of cash in politics is misunderstood and reform is not a cure-all. University of Rochester professor David Primo and University of Missouri professor Jeffrey Milyo say despite what many Americans believe, super PAC spending doesn't dominate campaigns. After analyzing decades of survey data from the public and experts, Primo and Milyo argue that changes in state-level campaign finance laws have little to no effect on attitudes toward government. This hour, we talk about their research and their forthcoming book, "Campaign Finance and American Democracy: What the Public Really Thinks and Why it Matters." Our guests:
- David Primo, Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor of Political Science and Business Administration at the University of Rochester
- Jeffrey Milyo, professor of political economics, law and economics, and health economics; and chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Missouri
Then in our second hour, when Governor Cuomo locked down the state at the beginning of the pandemic, businesses faced uncertainty and significant losses. When the economy began to reopen in Upstate New York, some businesses downstate got creative. A wine bar in New York City was one of them. The team behind Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels NYC discovered property in Interlaken on Cayuga Lake and opened their new venture, Supernatural Lake, in July. The project is a wine bar, restaurant, and bed-and-breakfast, with the New York City-based staff now living in the Finger Lakes. We talk to the team about their decision to shift their focus to Upstate, the economic impact of the pandemic, and what it means to get creative in the food and beverage industry during this time. Our guests:
- Caleb Ganzer, managing partner for Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels NYC and Supernatural Lake
- Eric Bolyard, executive chef and managing partner for Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels NYC and Supernatural Lake
