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 

Coming Soon

Are progressives too intent on winning? A look at the fluoridation campaign.
 

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Episode Archive

Voices from the Edge on 05/16/13

Air date: 
Thu, 05/16/2013 - 8:00am - 8:30am
Short Description: 
Interview with Walter Mosley & latest book Little Green

Join me in a delightful conversation with Walter Mosley on Thursday May 16, 2013 from 800AM-8: 30AM to discuss his latest book Little Green and the return of Easy Rollins! Walter Mosley is a New York City-based author, whose 37+ book literary career goes back to 1990′s Devil in a Blue Dress. That novel kicked off a series revolving around detective Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins — a Black resident of the Watts section of Los Angeles, whose continuing story begins in 1948, and (with the May 2013 release of his 12th story, Little Green) has progressed to 1967. Mosley also created the character of ex-convict Socrates Fortlow, the modern-day protagonist of Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, and two other novels. Both Rawlins and Fortlow were adapted for the screen in the 1990s.

Voices from the Edge on 05/09/13

Air date: 
Thu, 05/09/2013 - 8:00am - 9:00am
Short Description: 
Interview with Julie Perini from the Safe & Sound Project

Join Julie Perini & I Thu for a lively discussion of a new project called Safe & Sound? will an opening reception at the Place Gallery on Saturday May 18, 2013, 5:00PM-9:00PM. 

 

Voices from the Edge on 05/02/13

Air date: 
Thu, 05/02/2013 - 8:30am - 9:00am
Short Description: 
No on 26-151 interview with Kellie Barnes

Voters have received the Voters pamphlet and will get their ballots in the next few days. One of the biggest issues facing voters on May 21, 2013 is the issue of fluoridating water. Measure 26-151-ask voters ”Shall Portlanders fluoridate its drinking water supply”. Both sides of this debate were invited to participate in this conversation, unfortunately the pro-side didn’t respond. I will talk with Kellie Barnes, a local small business owner and a volunteer with Clean Water Portland on the No on 26-151 campaign. Have you decided? What questions do you have about fluoridation? Is it safe for food and pets? What questions do you have for the pro side? Let us know your thoughts! Join Kellie and I tomorrow morning from 8:30AM-9:00AM and join the conversation on Voices from the Edge.

Voices from the Edge on 05/02/13

Air date: 
Thu, 05/02/2013 - 8:00am - 8:30am
Short Description: 
Democracy >Convergence in Portland May 3-5 at Portland Community College

The Move To Amend coalition is hosting a Democracy Convergence in Portland May 3-5 at Portland Community College.  Join David Cobbs and I in this conversation tomorrow from the Move To Amend Coalition and learn about the coalition and their Convergence this weekend.

 

As you may remember on January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government. Human beings are people; corporations are legal fictions.

Voices from the Edge on 04/25/13

Air date: 
Thu, 04/25/2013 - 8:00am - 9:00am
Short Description: 
The Passage to Higher Education Program at PCC Cascade

School systems from across the United States have increasingly come under public scrutiny. Frustration with schools, especially the inner city districts, not adequately preparing youth to cross the bridge to the 21st century, has lead to debates about funding practices, teacher accountability, parental involvement and paradigm shifts. Also, concerns about the level of violence in schools, teen pregnancy, drugs, and other distractions have been apart of the public discussion on How do we better educate our youth? An innovative program at PCC Cascade “The Passage” to Higher Education is an organized network of professionals and students committed to providing a foundational framework for African American Women earning their degrees.

Voices from the Edge on 04/18/13

Air date: 
Thu, 04/18/2013 - 8:00am - 9:00am
Short Description: 
Oregon taxes and innovative legislation that will bring fairness to our tax structure

Join host Jo Ann Hardesty on Thursday April 18th 2013 from 8-9AM as she speaks with Common Ground‘s two Jeff’s regarding Oregon taxes and innovative legislation that will bring fairness to our tax structure.

Jeff Strang is the President of the local chapter of Common Ground and Jeff Smith is the Outreach Coordinator (and Website Manager).

Voices from the Edge on 04/04/13

Air date: 
Thu, 04/04/2013 - 8:00am - 9:00am
Short Description: 
Interview with F. Michael Higginbotham, author, Ghost of Jim Crow

When America inaugurated its first African American president, in 2009, many wondered if the country had finally become a "post-racial" society. Was this the dawning of a new era, in which America, a nation nearly severed in half by slavery, and whose racial fault lines are arguably among its most enduring traits, would at last move beyond race with the election of Barack Hussein Obama? In Ghosts of Jim Crow, F. Michael Higginbotham convincingly argues that America remains far away from that imagined utopia. Indeed, the shadows of Jim Crow era laws and attitudes continue to perpetuate insidious, systemic prejudice and racism in the 21st century.

Voices from the Edge on 03/28/13

Air date: 
Thu, 03/28/2013 - 8:00am - 9:00am
Short Description: 
Interview with S. Brian Wilson author Blood on the Tracks

"We are not worth more. They are not less" This is the mantra of S. Brian Wilson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psychohistorical memoir. Wilson's story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a "Commie-hating,baseball-loving Baptist." moves though life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua, and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle.

Audio

Flirting with Disaster: Randy Leonard's Soccermania

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program date: 
Wed, 04/01/2009

City Commissioner Randy Leondard wants major league soccer in Portland. Despite a darkening economic picture, the commissioner is pushing hard to close a deal that involves using public dollars to make it happen. But some Portlanders are concerned about the use of urban renewal dollars for upgrading PGE Stadium for soccer and building a new replacement baseball stadium. Dave Mazza discusses the potential risks and pitfalls of the stadium deal as well as other risky "public-private" partnerships looming on the horizon.

 

(Note: Institute for Policy Studies' Chuck Collins had originally been scheduled for this program. His assessment of the AIG debacle will aired on a later program.)

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Theater and Healing: A Conversation with PassinArt Theater Company

program date: 
Wed, 03/25/2009

The play's the thing. Theater offers reflections of reality but can it serve as a specific tool in tackling problems? Jo Ann and Dave talk with members of PassinArt: A Theater Company about their production of "A Sunbeam" by award-winning playwright John Henry. This unique production of a play about a family torn apart by problems includes "talk back" sessions with cast members and professionals from the Avel Gordley Center for Healing.

"A Sunbeam" runs from April 2 to April 25, 2009 at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center located at 5340 N. Interstate, Portland. Talk back sessions will take place following performances of the 3 p.m. Saturday matinees on April 18 and April 25. For more information go to the PassinArt website or call 503-321-5163.

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Concerned over Central City Concern; Also: Marching for Peace

program date: 
Wed, 03/11/2009

Central City Concern, with a $33 million annual budget and 23 buildings, is the city's biggest nonprofit landlord in downtown Portland. Some of the nonprofit's tenants, however, say their landlord has let apartment buildings fall into disrepair and disregarded tenants'demands for action or even a chance to speak to Central City Concern's board about the problem. Jo Ann and Dave speak with Lew Church, coordinator for Portland State University Progressive Student Union and with a tenant of the Biltmore apartment building about their ongoing campaign with Central City Concern over tenants' rights.

On March 15, Oregonians from around the state will gather in Salem to "stop the wars at home and abroad." Jo Ann and Dave speak with Peter Bergl, executive director of Oregon PeaceWorks about the march and rally, the peace movement's response to the new administration in the White House, and the statewide campaign to keep the Oregon National Guard at home.

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Soccer fields vs. social services: The real cost of urban renewal districts.

program date: 
Wed, 03/04/2009

Next week the Portland City Council starts to consider an $85 million proposal by Merritt Paulson to bring major league soccer to Portland. Paulson wants the city to contribute $20-$40 million of urban renewal money - funds intended to combat "urban blight" - to close the deal. The Portland Development Commission's advisory task force has just completed a review that recommends conditional approval. Paulson and his supporters say those dollars will create jobs and enhance the community. Critics not only say that soccer doesn't qualify but that its diverting funds from essential county services.

Dave talks with Marissa Madrigal, chief of staff to Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen, about how the city's expanding use of urban renewal districts is affecting the county's ability to meet the needs of county residents. Also joining the conversation is State Rep. Nick Kahl (D-Portland) who recently introduced legislation that would require county approval for the creation or amendment of urban renewal districts as well as permit urban renewal funds to be spent on social services. To find our more or make your voice heard on this important question, contact Commissioner Cogen and Rep. Kahl.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

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Health Equity and the County Budget Crisis

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program date: 
Wed, 02/25/2009

African Americans in Multnomah County are twice as likely to die from diabetes or stroke than white county residents. Hispanic mothers are two times less likely to have early prenatal care white mothers. Native Americans in the county die from HIV at three times the rate of whites.

Multnomah County, through programs like the Health Equity Intitiative, has made signficant progress in addressing health disparities. But as these figures from the County's March 2008 Report Card on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities show, much work remains to be done. How will the county do this as it struggles with a deepening budget crisis and the economic meltdown worsens the social and environmental factors that influence health equity in our region?

 

This week Jo Ann and Dave talk with Tricia Tillman, manager of the Multnomah County Health Department's Health Equity Intitiative about achievements and challenges yet to be met in eliminating health disparity.

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Police tackle racial profiling...again

program date: 
Wed, 02/18/2009

People of color continue to be stopped and searched by the police than other Portlanders. Racial profiling has not abated according to a draft 36-page report released February 18 by Portland Police Bureau Chief Rosie Sizer. The report, long awaited by the community, outlines Sizer's assessment of the problem as well as steps to eliminate racial profiling by making the police bureau better reflect the community it is supposed to serve.  Jo Ann and Dave review the draft plan's strenths and weaknesses.

Also on this edition of Voices from the Edge, Jo Ann and Dave talk with state Representative Chip Shields (Dist. 43) about his work to include racial and ethnic impact statements in any new sentencing laws considered by the legislature or voters.

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Economic Stimulus: Winners & Losers

program date: 
Wed, 02/11/2009

Host Jo Ann Bowman talks about winners & losers in the final Economic Stimulus Package.
 

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Livability or Big Brother: The Portland Police Bureau's Secret List

program date: 
Wed, 01/28/2009

The Portland Police Bureau is keeping a list of people arrested most often downtown. The police say that the list, which has grown from 35 to nearly 400, is part of a coordinated strategy to improve livability in Old Town and surrounding neighborhoods by arresting chronic offenders and holding them in jail where they can receive drug, acohol and other treatments to end their criminal behavior. Defense attorneys say that people are being labeled as chronic offenders based on arrests rather than convictions. They also say these people have no way of appealing their placement on the list, are being prosecuted more harshly than other offenders, and may represent another form of racial profiling by the police. Dan Saltzman, the city's new police commissioner, has endorsed the program and suggested it may be expanded to other areas of the city to cover other issues like prostitution.

Jo Ann and Dave talk with David Fidanque, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union about the secret list. Earlier this month the ACLU filed a legal challenge over the constitutionality of the list.

New Feature!

 

 

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

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Does Portland have a real solution for its gang problem?

program date: 
Wed, 01/21/2009

Portland has seen 11 gang-related shootings since the Dec. 12 murder of a gang member inside the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. City leaders are calling it a "gang war crisis" and the Portland police want a new coordinated strategy to combat the violence. But the call for action comes when many outreach programs are struggling for funding. Will the city's new effort address the causes or just the symptoms of gang violence? Will the rush to take action create bigger problems like innocent youth getting profiled for gang involvement?

This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with John Canda, a former gang outreach worker for the city of Portland and Clayborn Collins, executive director of Emmanual Community General Services, about what needs to be done to really solve Portland's gang problem.

New Feature!

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions online so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

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Congress and the Economic Fix: Where's the Money Going?

Categories:
program date: 
Wed, 01/14/2009

The new Congress will be working with a new administration in the White House. Behind the smiles and calls for cooperation, there's already signs of differences between both sides of the congressional aisles and the president elect. Elements of the Obama proposal is already drawing criticism from both parties. Democrats like Representative Barney Frank and Senator John F. Kerry of Massachussetts, as well as Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, have expressed deep skepticism about the effectiveness of the proposed business tax credits for creating new jobs. Republicans in the House and Senate are warning about the entire package becoming too large as numbers approach trillion dollar mark.

The proposed stimulus package is drawing fire outside the halls of Congress as well. Left-leaning Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman is alarmed at the timidity of the Obama proposal. Hardcore free market economists and conservative think tanks like the Cato Institute are working overtime to convince Americans that massive government spending will not create jobs and that the market must be allowed to take its natural course.

Jo Ann and Dave look at the new Congress, their relationship with the new president, and what that means for fixing the broken American economy. Join us in an ongoing discussion about the economic stimulus proposal at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.

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Comments

Please give 12 minutes of your life to this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQglhA4FK8I

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,

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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

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