Voices from the Edge
About the program …
Community dialogue is important. At 8am every Thursday Voices from the Edge lends a KBOO microphone to informed guests you might not hear anywhere else. With an hour to invest, the call-in format engages listeners in meaningful conversations about crucial issues like racial disparity, government accountability, environmental justice and politics on local, state and national levels. Join lively discussions about concerns that are important to you and our community. Together we’ll make Oregon and our nation a better place for a larger number of those living here.
About the host …
Jo Ann Hardesty is Principal Partner at Consult Hardesty. She serves as a subject matter expert on a myriad of issues and is available as a speaker, facilitator and campaign planner. A long-time voice for Portland's under-represented communities and a leader in the struggle against racial and economic injustice, Jo Ann was three times elected to the Oregon legislature and for many years Executive Director of Oregon Action. She’s been called on by the City of Portland to help re-write the City Charter and organizes those on the downside of power to pursue their interests from the local to the federal level. She is particularly committed to leadership development and in holding those in power accountable.
Join the conversation …
Join the conversation every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. by calling 503-231-8187. Keep the conversation going after the program at our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.
Engineering: Steve Nassar
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Voices from the Edge on 05-24-12 Whose urban renewal?
Whose urban renewal? A look at the mayor's education urban renewal area.
Last week the Portland City Council approved the Portland Development Commission's Education Urban Renewal Plan "focused on expanding Portland State University as a leading engine of economic growth, prosperity and opportunity." The new urban renewal area will generate up to $169 million for investment in research facilities, "business accelerators," affordable housing and private development. The mayor sees the funds, which come from the property taxes collected in the area, as a strategic investment for the city.
But not everyone sees the creative use of the urban renewal process in the same positive light as the mayor. Among those voices concerns is the League of Women Voters of Portland who question how expansion of the university meets the "blight test" required by Oregon's Urban Renewal Law. The League is also concerned over the lack of details of exactly how these millions of tax dollars are to be spent. They are not alone. Other critics question how this investment can raise the overall tax base of the area - another requirement of the process - when the dollars are going to the expansion of a public university that is largely tax exempt?
This week, Jo Ann and Dave are joined by Debbie Aiona and Shelley Lorenzen of the League of Women Voters of Portland's Action Committee to discuss their concerns for the plan and what can be done to rein in the council's use of Oregon's Urban Renewal Law.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 05-24-12
- Genre: Other
- Year: 2012
- Length: 57:53 minutes (52.99 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Daniel Suelo, the man who quit money
Twelve years ago, Daniel Suelo left his life savings - thirty dollars - inside a phone booth and walked away. Since then, he has lived - to all appearances sanely and even joyfully - without money, credit, barter, or government support, fulfilling what he sees as a vision of the good life inspired by the teachings of Jesus, the Buddha and others. Suelo sees his path as one that has allowed him to live an engaged life on the personal, social and spiritual level. What does his experience tell us about modern American life?
This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk Daniel Suelo and with Mark Sundeen, the writer who has chronicled Suelo's experiences in The Man Who Quit Money. Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy says "... Daniel's story seems to offer some broader clues for all of us?" Is this level of withdrawal a solution to modern Americans' sense of alienation or an escape from the tougher challenge of being engaged with the world as it is?
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Length: 33:33 minutes (30.71 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 05-10-12 Occupying the economy with Richard D. Wolff
Occupying the economy with Richard D. Wolff
Three years into the government's announced recovery, working Americans find themselves poorer than when the recovery began. While the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression has exposed corrupt bankers, unregulated speculators and a government willing to serve the interests of the one percent regardless the cost, the wealthy continue to prosper. Economist Richard D. Wolff credits the occupy movement with exposing these symptoms of capitalism but believes we must go deeper to resolve the decades-old causes of the crisis, reaching back to the 1970s when a century-old pattern of rising wages for workers ended.
This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with Dr. Wolff about the deep-rooted causes underlying the current crisis, how those cause have made economic injustice chronic and how we build on the occupy movement's initial steps to create a better future. Dr. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and regularly teaches at the Brecht Forum in Manhattan. His most recent published work is Occupy the Economy: Challenging Capitalism which he co-authored with David Barsamian.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 05-10-12
- Genre: Other
- Year: 2012
- Length: 57:56 minutes (53.04 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 05-03-12 Blowing the lid off BP and other corporate criminals with Greg Palast
Blowing the lid off BP and other corporate criminals with Greg Palast
Last month, award-winning investigative journalist Greg Palast uncovered new evidence of a corporate-government cover-up in the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon blowout that destroyed lives and the environment in the Gulf of Mexico. In an investigation that includes travel to - and deportation from - the Islamic republic of Azerbaijan, Palast and his team uncovered evidence of a 2008 blowout of a BP Caspian Sea rig from the use of the same faulty cement cap that led to the Gulf disaster. Even more disturbing is Palast's discovery of evidence implicating BP, Chevron, Exxon and the Bush State Department in a cover-up of the Caspian Sea disaster. Waterkeeper Alliance attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the concealment "criminal," noting "we have laws that make it illegal to hide this."
This week, Jo Ann and Dave are joined by Greg Palast in a conversation about the cover-up and the incestuous relationship between corporate lobbyists and government which made covering up this criminal behavior possible. Greg will also talk about what changes are or aren't happening in the political landscape as the 2012 presidential race shapes up. Join us in this special conversation with Greg Palast as we kick off KBOO's spring membership drive.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 05-03-12
- Genre: Other
- Year: 2012
- Length: 58:15 minutes (53.33 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 04-26-12 Finding justice in the Portland Harbor cleanup w/ Guest James Posey
Finding justice in the Portland Harbor cleanup
Portland Harbor is the heavily industrialized portion of the Willamette River running north of downtown to Kelly's Point. Since it was listed as a Superfund site in 2000, cleaning up the toxins - ranging from heavy metals to pesticides - has been a source of contention between the city, state, industry and citizen groups. Now a "Portland Harbor Partnership" composed of government and industry representatives is moving towards a final plan for cleanup and future use of the area. What will be the effect of the cleanup and redevelopment of Portland Harbor on neighboring communities of color? Will the transformation of Portland Harbor offer economic and social opportunities for those communities or create more exclusive, upscale developments?
This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with local businessman James Posey, past president of the National Association of Minority Contractors Oregon. They'll explore the potential of the cleanup to address the economic disparities still facing black and other minority businesses of color. Do we find justice in the cleanup process or do we follow the same old formula? Join us in this important conversation.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 04-26-12
- Genre: Other
- Year: 2012
- Length: 56:43 minutes (51.93 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 04-19-12 Sexual assault and homeless women
Sexual assault and homeless women: Addressing an ignored link
Women in an abusive relationship are often forced to choose between abuse at home or life on the streets. Demand far outstrips the supply of affordable housing or shelter space. A 2006 U.S. Conference of Mayors report found that 29 percent of shelter requests by homeless families were denied due to lack of resources. The link between domestic violence and homelessness is well documented. A recent study in Massachusetts found that 92 percent of homeless women had experience severe physical or sexual assault at some point in their life. San Diego's Regional Task Force on the Homeless found that 50 percent of homeless women are domestic violence victims. While the problem continues to grow, many lawmakers are pushing for reduced funding for what resources currently exist for battered women.
This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with Doreen Binder, Executive Director of Transitions Project, and Jessie Mindlin and Laura Mahr, attorneys at the Victims' Rights Law Center about what is being done nationally and in Oregon to address the problem. Binder, Mindlin and Mahr recently presented at the World Conference of Women's Shelters on this issue.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 04-19-12
- Genre: Other
- Year: 2012
- Length: 57:39 minutes (52.79 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 04-12-12 Ending unjust deportations
Ending unjust deportations
Most news stories of ICE raids on undocumented immigrants end with a headcount of people caught in the government's net. What's not seen on the evening news is the impact on communities where deportations tear families apart and create an environment of insecurity for those left behind. As deportations continue to occur in the Portland area, local communities are coming together to understand the issues driving these federal policies and to find solutions that are just and create true security.
This week, Jo Ann and Dave are joined by Professor Rene Sanchez of the University of Portland and Aeryca Steinbauer of Causa Oregon to explore the moral, legal and political elements of this issue. Professor Sanchez and Ms. Steinbauer are organizers of Insecure Communities: A Community Forum on Ending Unjust Deportation taking place on Friday, April 13 at First Unitarian Church.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 04-12-12
- Genre: Other
- Year: 2012
- Length: 54:53 minutes (50.25 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 04-05-12 Official violence against African American men
Campbell, Martin, Brisette and Madison: Official violence against African American men
The Portland police officer who fatally shot Aaron Campbell was recently reinstated. Florida's State Attorney is being investigated for interference in the police investigation of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer. Seven years after James Brissette and Ronald Madison were fatally shot by police officers from New Orlean's Danziger Bridge, the officers who pulled the triggers as well as those who covered up the killings have finally been convicted for their crimes. Different circumstances, different locations, but all three are connected by some form of official sanctioning of violence against African American men.
This week, Jo Ann and Dave will look more closely at these cases, the obstacles to achieving justice for the victims and what it says about the race and law enforcement in 2012.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's development director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 04-05-12
- Genre: Rock
- Year: 2012
- Length: 45:10 minutes (41.35 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 03-29-12 Young voices for peace: Winners of PSR's Greenfield Peace Writing Contest
Young voices for peace: Winners of PSR's Greenfield Peace Writing Contest
As the United States enters a second decade of Asian wars and channels 22 percent of the nation's budget into military spending, finding new voices to speak out for peace may be the most important task facing peace activists. One of the ways Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) has taken on that task is their Greenfield Peace Writing Contest which encourages "the next generation of Oregon's leaders to consider their role in promoting peace." This year's contest, starting with President Dwight Eisenhower's observation that "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies a theft form those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed," solicited essays, poems and stories from high school students that addressed the relationship between militarism and human needs. Five students who were selected from 57 entries from across the state will be honored at PSR's annual awards dinner on March 31.
This week, Jo Ann and Dave will be joined by four of the five honored: Alish Duff of West Linn High School; Alex Smith of Crescent Valley High School; Christine Trinh of De La Salle North Catholic High School; and Kelly Frank of Redmond High School. Also joining the conversation will be PSR's executive director, Kelly Campbell.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's underwriting director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 03-29-12
- Genre: Rock
- Year: 2012
- Length: 57:31 minutes (52.66 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Voices from the Edge on 03-22-12 What role should religion play in our politics?
What role should religion play in our politics?
Judging by the statements made by presidential candidates and the media pundits providing minute-by-minute analysis of their comments, Americans want more religion in their politics. But a new poll by Pew Research indicates that a growing number of Americans are concerned about the degree to which politicians and the media have inserted religion into political discourse.
What role should religion play in our politics? The answer isn't easy. Despite the Pew findings, Americans continue to say that religion is an important part of their lives. Even in Oregon - which ranks 41st among states when considering religion's importance to its citizens - 46 percent of Oregonians see religion as essential to their lives. What does that mean for our politics? How do people bring important values into the public arena in a way that contributes to the greater good? Join us as we take a look at the Pew Research findings.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a KBOO member (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right-hand corner on KBOO's homepage to find out how) or consider becoming an underwriter of this program (contact KBOO's development director for details).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- Title: VFE 03-22-12
- Genre: Rock
- Year: 2012
- Length: 55:34 minutes (50.87 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)
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Comments
show of 12/8
I appreciate your show more than I can say...however I have some criticism. Your comments about 911 show that you have trusted the mainstream media and have not had the courage to look into documented facts since the event. I am not going to talk here about the mountain of evidence to the contrary, but as a source of so called "independent media" I am disappointed in your rote line of naivete'. Please try the documentary of architects and engineers as a starting place.
.
VRTE-Greg Palast
From a friend in Vancouver Canada, thanks for all your good work joann and Dave.
I enjoyed the interview you had with Greg and spent time searching for more of his investigative journalism.
I am now retired and have had direct experience with pipeline inspection, specifically what is called "pipeline integrity".
Greg spoke of pipeline "pigs" that are inserted inside of a 'live' pipeline (product flowing inside) to detect discontinuities which may include cracks and/or corrosion etc. The "pig" is not sensitive enough to determine the discontinuity. The pig records information along its path and if it detects a discontinuity it records the position or location of the possible defect.
The areas in which the pig has detected a discontinuity is dug up and inspection crews report on the specfics of what they discover.
That information is communicated to the inspection company's client and it is the client to determine whether or not the discontinuity requires attention, such as replacement of a section of the pipeline.
The pig may indeed by programmed to distinguish between what the pipeline company determines are non-relevant discontinuities.
When I was working on existing pipeline inspections the client's engineers would have sections of a pipe that had some external corrosion (that we had quantified in terms of depth of the corrosion and remaining pipe wall thickness) removed and delivered to their lab where they conducted "burst tests". These tests are actually hydrostatic tests which produce high pressures in the pipe until the pipe bursts. From this information a pipeline company determines whether or not a discontinuity is relevant or not.
I would imagine that if the pig that Greg Palast was talking about in Alaska was indeed programmed to exclude discontinuities that pipeline engineers had determined through testing were non-relevant. As Greg pointed out, this practice does appear to be suspicious and probably he has a case in terms of how the pig's program can be tampered with.
Almost all of the pipeline leaks lately are due to pipelines that were fabricated and buried 30-50 years ago when knowledge of coatings, metals and soil science (cathodic anodic interactions) were not fully understood.
I am not sure if governing bodies have required pipeline companies to conduct their pig inspections on a more frequent basis. I do know that one can send a pig down a line and 6 months later a spill can occur. This may be due to rapid corrosion caused by a multiple of causes. Once coating fails on the external surface of a buried pipeline, moisture, soil chemicals and inherent electrical currents can accellerate corrosion causing a failure even in areas of the pipe that had no relevant discontinuities.
In Canada, and I believe in the US, our governments have slashed the direct public oversight component of regulation relying on "corporate responsibility". Most public oversight consists of reviewing corporate paperwork. The review usually does not consist of a full reading of that paperwork. If the public is to be assured of pipeline safety it must ask for more inspections and more government inspectors who oversee some of the "digs" to determine severity of pipeline discontinuities.
Again, thanks for your hard work!
Phil
Which Party To Blame
Joann & Dave,
Normal
0
I enjoy your show, but you said this morning that it was the Republicans that got us into this mess. Both of you are too intelligent to give the Democratic party a pass on their equal responsibility in destroying our economy, in perpetuating a decade of war and the associated war crimes, torture, and erosion of the civil liberties of this nation. Both the Democrats and Republicans have fleeced, degraded, and tried their best to destroy the working class for the profit of their corporate benefactors. After all, wasn't it Clinton who signed the bill repealing Glass Steagall. Wasn't it under Clinton that Brooksley Born, his own Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair, was stripped of her power and credibility when she rightly warned of the pending doom associated with derivatives? Wasn't it Clinton that signed the bill allowing further consolidation of our media. In my opinion, one of your callers today struck on our only deliverance. We need to create a strong party of and for the people to compete with these two dominant parties, both of which are only working for the corporate elites. I would like to see a labor party - a party that is dedicated to enhancing the lives of anyone receiving a W-2. I would like to see liberal people of influence, like Michael Moore, Arianna Huffington, Bill Maher, Bill Moyers, Amy Goodman, Chris Hedges, Robert Scheer, and the like to join forces and implement this desperately needed option for working people. A strong workers' party is the only viable solution for this country. Until such time, I will vote for any party other than the dominant two, or I'll vote for an independent or I will write in Bernie Sanders, or either of you. But I will not reward the criminal class that has, and continues to destroy working class America with impunity.
Foreclosure Mills
I just wanted to post a link to an article about the foreclosure mills that make money off of the forsclosure mess. http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/07/david-stern-djsp-foreclosure-fannie-freddie?page=1
taxing "gross" income?
can you clarify?
don't the measures increase rates on taxable income, not gross income, as the first caller mentioned?
Still waiting for my apology from Joann
Dear Ms. Bowman,
I did not hear an apology for you making a blatant distortion of my comment. I do not appreciate being lied about and especially by a campaign which you obviously are supporting which hypocritically poses as the moral arbitrator of the Universe regarding truth telling.
Again, let me clarify:
First off, I did not say, as was falsely stated by you and your guest, that politicians have a right to lie. I stated that everyone has a right to lie about their love life. That is a vastly different point and I bitterly resent being lied about on this.
This distortion (lie) by your guest and you is sadly emblematic of the hyperbolic nature of this entire pesudo-moralistic campaign.
I will receive your apology before I ever again associate with you or this program.
Sinverely,
Will Ware
It
Lying about lying on the Edge
I don't know how to get an email to the disc jockey.
Will again and please correct your slander of me and misstatement of my comment.
First off, I did not say, as was falsely stated by JoAnn and your caller, that politicians have a right to lie. I stated that everyone has a right to lie about their love life. That is a vastly different point and I bitterly resent being lied about on this.
This distortion (lie) by your guest and JoAnn is emblematic of the hyperbolic nature of this entire pesudo-moralistic campaign.
It is a fact that Republicans involved in this are using this as an organizing tool. It is a fact that this campaign is making common-cause with anti-progressive forces.
It is this campaign that is the divisive force in our community.
This signature campaign is the darling of the right wing. This campaign is the best thing that has happened to the Multnomah Co. Republican Party since Theodore Roosevelt.
If this is about negative campaigning- WHY IS THIS SUCH A THOROUGLY NEGATIVE CAMPGAIGN. IT REDUCES POLITICAL DIALOG TO THE LEVEL OF A GRAMMER SCHOOL PLAYGROUND.
Cops and Race
Very interesting program today (8/6/09). Here's a germane link to an article by Kevin Alexander Gray in The Progressive "Citizens have the right to talk back to the police":
http://www.progressive.org/mpgray080409.html
In my view, a well trained cop could have and should have defused the situation far short of arrest.
Too frequently, cops escalate situations, especially when dealing with people of color.
As Mr. Alexander sums up in the final sentence of his article: "We should never have to fear when we stand up for our rights." And that goes for people of all hues.
Citizens have the right to talk back ...
I agree, Peter. This article is germane: One outcome of Professor Gate’s arrest should be an understanding that “What lends legitimacy (to our legal system) is our belief that the police are dutiful servants of the people — not their arbitrary oppressors.”
The Declaration of Independence promptly asserts “… Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed.”
'Know Your Rights' training is imperative, as a 'check and balance' against unwarranted interference with the intent of the U.S. Constitution. An informed citizenry is a Public Good. Vigilance against abuse of power is actually a civic responsibility.
I know first-hand a tendency by Portland police to escalate situations that might be otherwise resolved. I have only an inkling of the mental pressures involved in policing, and but a dim suspicion as to the social handicaps that come with wielding weapons, spending so much time in the milieu of antisocial behavior, of having a community grant your uniformed subgroup status as The Enforcers. I would suspect such pressure, status and lethal equipment make it difficult to appreciate a role of Servant of the People.
Do you know what the common ground may be?
Law enforcement.
How can we change our dialogue so that a person of color, being thrown up against chain link fence – sometimes even without a pretext of wrongdoing – has standing when there is no probable cause that a crime is being committed?
By advocating that police actions adhere to Constitutional provisions for freedom from unwarranted search, to be secure in their possessions; would not this citizen also be involved in law enforcement?
One really ironic point I failed to make on the program is that, from the time of Chief Kroeker onward, it has likely been in the consciousness of Portland Police Bureau command that racial profiling actually inhibits criminal detection and prosecution. Simply the perception of police misconduct reduces the quality of public cooperation. One of the results of racial bias is that it is more difficult to secure leads and eventual witness testimony from a disenfranchised, victimized population of law-abiding citizens.
I suggest there will be a real reduction in crime (due to citizen cooperation) when and if policing is seen to be done lawfully. If it were a shared perception that people who oppose the immoral, unethical and illegal practice of racial profiling had merit as Constitutional law enforcers, I would think this a positive dynamic … and not just for people of color, but other negatively affected groups like the mentally ill, for whom self-advocacy is a supreme challenge.
Let us fuse training and dialogue. You mention the ‘well-trained cop.’ Perhaps ‘Know Your Rights’ training (and Oregon Action training includes de-escalation strategies) might dovetail with Portland Police Bureau training. What would be achieved if police training alerted officers that a segment of the population - fatigued by unconstitutional behavior - will be advocating for just and equitable treatment?
If that segment of the population included Police Commissioner Saltzman, Human Rights Commissioner Fritz, City Auditor Griffin-Valade and Mayor Adams, I think the Police union would find impetus to engage in negotiations for a means to weed out officers refusing to enforce the Constitution, state law, or bureau regulations.
To take up your point about police as public servants, the Auditor’s Independent Police Review Board is poised to actually adopt that frame of reference. Currently specializing in facts and figures, there is a component of their reporting primed and ready for public pressure to make this a prime frame of reference for assessing the Police Bureau’s functionality.
Perhaps better left for another blog, I just want you to know that civilian oversight of armed government activity is imperative as the nation pursues a War on Terror. If the City of Portland were to weigh in on fundamental human rights during the nation’s general expansion of police powers, it stands likely to do a Public Good that cannot now be calculated.
Environment: global warming
On this morning's (June 18) program Joann mentioned a man (I think she said "young" and "minority" )who is becomming active in environmental matters, I would like to talk with him about joining the planning and implementation of an event that is scheduled to take place on October 24th.
I am a member ot the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Multnomah Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), and the organizer of a sub-group called "Global Coolers". We meet monthly and have taken the responsibility of informing the Meeting about global warming and involving them in efforts to lessen our individual and collective destructive impact on the planet.We have also hosted a couple of community events over the past several years.
Yesterday I learned that Bill McKibben, who is a leading activist in the environmental protection movement, is organizing a world-wide demonstration to take place on October 24: it is described on 350.org.
I want to make sure that Portland participates in this event.
I have not talked yet to other environmental activists about involvement (there may already be plans afoot) but I will do so in the next couple of days. In any case I will welcome all participants in the planning and execution of the event. My telephone number is 503-292-1817.
Thank you for your attention.
Peace, Jim
Measure 53
I was disturbed to hear this morning information that leads me to think I did not check out the ballot measures carefully enough. As an intelligent conservative, I find it both important and difficult to listen to KBOO and other left-of-center sources regularly, and the comments this morning made it clear that I should invest more energy into that effort.
On the other hand, I was a bit amused (and relieved of my nascent guilt) when I heard you adamantly insist that Measure 53 passed by a 76-24 margin because a day-old paper said so. It is possible that the Oregonian was that far off the mark - if so, I would assume that it was an early edition which showed very preliminary results. I went to three sources this morning of which two gave vote tallies. KATU.com indicates that as of 8am today the vote on 53 was YES 475,838 and NO 473,912 which is a margin of less than 2000 votes out of nearly 1 million. Rounded to the nearest percent, the vote is 50-50. KOIN.com had very similar (probably identical) numbers.
So I figure that if you let your personal opinions cloud such simple and easily ascertained facts, if you are so closed-minded that you will not double-check this when it is disputed, I need not concern myself with your judgment on the more complex issue of Measure 53 itself.
- Gordon
Very Disappointed Today
I’m a newer fan to KBOO. I listen every morning now and Voices From the Edge (VFE) is definitely one of my favorite morning program. I’m usually quite a fan but today I was really disappointed by Joann and the President of NAACP. A man called up and asked “Why aren’t all black men supporting Obama?” He was trying to be controversial and disruptive. He tossed a lure of disconcert to the radio hosts and what did they do . . . they bit. Joann dominated the conversation, provided a flippant/emotional/short rebuttal and pushed the guy off the air. Worse yet, the President of the NAACP said NOTHING! What on earth is a leader of the NAACP supposed to do but say something in these situations? That was the caller that VFE/NAACP should pray for, wish for, hell invite. HE WAS THE PERSON YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH AND YOU PUSHED HIM AWAY INSTEAD OF INVITING THE CONVERSATION AND PROMOTING GROWTH. We don’t make progress if those who disagree don’t discuss and debate. VFE too often discusses topics with people that share the same liberal view and all you are doing is reinforcing existing beliefs. It’s pointless if you want to effect change. You missed a tremendous opportunity today to change this guy and affect all those who share the same beliefs. He actually made a few valid points—Why wouldn’t black men support Obama? It would do wonders for equality. What has Obama ever done?—but with limited scope. You had a chance to discuss, inform, and enlighten those who wondered the same things. You said nothing constructive and you let ignorance prevail. Joann you should be more prepared the next time. The President of the NAACP should be mad as hell at herself. “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” “Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.” -MLKjr
Programs & Schedules
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Next Board of Director's Meeting
JUNE 3, 2013 - 6PM
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