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Pedantic Nerd Rage
Shortly after taping today's show with Al Gore, I got an email from a colleague. He introduced himself as "the new IT guy downstairs" but I'm going to call him "invaluable ears." Here's a mistake he pointed out:
During the opening of the show you described Mr. Gore’s movie as being a bunch of powerpoint slides. As a former Apple employee I have to point out 2 things:
An Inconvenient Truth was made with Apple’s competitor to PowerPoint called Keynote.
This is only an issue because Al Gore is on Apple’s board of directors.
Sources:
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2006/05/inconvenienttruth/
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/mar/19gore.html
He apologized for "pedantic nerd rage," but if that's what it is, I'll take more anytime!
A Moral Education?
There was in interesting exchange this morning in the thread for our Sex Education show. Kristieflanagan kicked it off by writing:
Schools need to get back to teaching Morals... why not raise the bar along with giving them education?
ORSunshine and Robot disagreed, as did bigdaddy124:
The PUBLIC schools system is not for teachng MORALS. That is for the parents to do. If you are expecting MORALS based teaching, enroll you children into a private school run buy a religious sect...
But then uncommonsense joined in with a new wrinkle:
If we weren't talking about sex ed, isn't it ok for a school to teach Morals?
For example, most of us would agree that wasting energy and over consumption is a legal personal decision made from one's morals.
Does that make it inappropriate for a teacher to encourage people to carpool do reduce thier footprint?
Let's use some common sense (that's my thing). A responsibile sex education program NEEDS to tell middle and high school children that it is in fact not a morally sound decision to bang everything that walks by. This does not need to be framed in religion, this needs to be framed in fact.
In a nutshell, it would be irresponsible to tie the hands of the educational system by not allowing them to teach something responsible that a person may interpert as a moral.
Do morals — however you define them — have a place in a public school classroom?
Cycle Citations
One unanswered question on Friday's bike plan 2030 program: how many tickets do Portland police write for cyclists who break traffic laws? The answer: the police don't know for sure. Right now, only tickets written by officers in the traffic division are electronic, and thus searchable for things like if the recipient was a cyclist. Other police officers also write traffic tickets, but those records won't be electronic until next year.
But according to these partial records, the traffic division issued 1001 warnings or citations to cyclists for violating traffic laws in 2008. As of November 12, 2009, the total was 721.
Check out this training video put together by police for police on how to best enforce bike traffic laws (if you're looking for flared tempers and fast action, you might have to look elsewhere, but there's an OK roll-off-the-hood stunt about a quarter of the way through):
If you don't get through the whole thing, here are a couple revealing highlights. Deputy city attorney David Woboril says officer discretion is key.
An emphasis was placed not on the strict letter of the law, but on enforcement that best uses scarce resources to promote safe sharing of our roads.
Lt. Bryan Parman stresses changing behavior:
As with almost all traffic work, whether you write a citation or not should depend on your evaluation of the need to affect the future behavior of the driver, bicyclist, and public at large.
Officer Robert Pickett considers motivation when deciding whether to cite bikers for getting in the way of a car:
Given Portland's desire to have motor vehicles become accustomed to bikes in the travel lane, we feel impeding should be a low enforcement priority. Unless a biker intends to inconvenience drivers.
And this tip about stop signs: if you approach on a bike at walking speed and look both ways, the Portland Police probably won't cite you for running the stop. But they can.
Bike Free and Prosper
On the show today Ellen Vanderslice, the project manager for Portland's Bike Plan 2030, said the city is promoting biking in order to be more sustainable, healthier and more prosperous. The first two seem fairly clear: biking has a smaller carbon footprint than driving, and pedalling burns more calories than steering. But more prosperous? If that seems like a leap, here is the paper she had in mind.
The Fall Heard 'Round the World
As we mentioned during yesterday's Berlin Wall show, we were able to take advantage of Friday's live audience to get an international perspective on the fall of the Berlin Wall. In case you missed Friday's program, when we talked about families and money, we had a wonderful international live audience made up of foreign nationals who work for U.S. embassies around the world. It worked out quite nicely: they were interested in watching a webby radio show in action; we were eager to get a global view on the ripples of fall of the Berlin Wall.
Anyway, with four guests on yesterday's show we didn't get a chance to play all of the clips on the air, but there are no time limits online!
Have a listen to these MP3 recollections of:
- JANINA GALAS FROM POLAND
- YULIA GRIGORYEVA FROM THE EX-SOVIET UNION
- BOUBA MONGLO FROM CAMEROON
- THUC PHAM FROM VIETNAM
- DOUGLAS TOBAR FROM EL SALVADOR
- DAVID YINGRA FROM CHAD
Meet the Candidates
With a year to go, the race to be Oregon's next governor is getting crowded. So we've decided to kick off our campaign coverage with an online get-to-know-the-candidates interview. We asked the same set of questions to each of the candidates who have either filed for the race with the Secretary of State's office or announced their intention to run.
As we get closer to November 2, 2010 we'll be following up with special election coverage. But here's a taste of what's to come:
(Note: We haven't heard back from Michael Hotchkiss (R), John Kitzhaber (D), or John Lim (R), all of whom have announced that they're running for governor. We'll update this post when they send their responses.)
1. If the tax increases are voted down in the January election, what should lawmakers do to make up for the expected budget shortfall?
According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, 14 states increased spending this year despite the recession putting pressure on tax receipts. Oregon’s 13.9% increase was the second highest increase in the nation.
Between 2003 and 2007, Oregon government spending grew 37%. In a state that prides itself on being sustainable, it is simply not sustainable to dramatically grow government while our economy shrinks.
There are some who say we will lose basic services if we do not raise taxes. That is intellectually dishonest. Oregon state government needs to do what families and businesses around Oregon have been doing for over a year now; prioritize spending and make ends meet.
If 48 other states can do more with less and Oregon cannot, then something is wrong. We need leadership who can step up, set priorities and implement a responsible budget.
2. How would you describe the relationship you hope to foster with the legislature — and how would you foster it?
I already have shown how I am able to work across the aisle. As a Republican, I spent 15 months very effectively working in a Democratic administration as Govvernor Kulongoski’s Deputy Chief of Staff.
What I found was that my background in international business was directly applicable. I have spent many years working globally, building relationships and multi-million dollar businesses with people with whom you would think I have little in common. What I found was that if I approach them with respect and make an honest attempt to understand their experiences and why they hold a different opinion, I could build a relationship of trust and respect.
Once we trust and respect each other I found we could collaborate and reach win-win agreements even when at first you would have thought there was no common ground.
3. What would you use the governor’s bully pulpit to champion?
We talk a lot about sustainability in Oregon but having one of the leading unemployment, homelessness and hunger rates in the nation is simply not sustainable.
- It is not sustainable that while Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation – we are raising taxes.
- It is not sustainable that as the world sprints ahead of our educational system, our children are relegated to the intellectual bench.
- It is not sustainable that as we argue about enhancing our environment, our forests are tinderboxes and we continue to burn fossils as if the price will never rise and the flame will never extinguish.
It all starts with a job, even more than that a career (a job with a future). The Governor needs to make it clear the top priority is getting Oregon back to work.
4. How do you think historians will view Gov. Kulongoski’s tenure?
I worked with Governor Kulongoski. Although we did not agree on every issue, we shared a passion for doing the right thing for Oregonians. We differ in our views largely because our backgrounds are very different.
Although you may think he will be remembered for his promotion of green jobs, I think he will be most remembered for his passion for helping children. I believe it comes from his own childhood experience of being an orphan. He truly wants to do everything that he can to help out kids, because they cannot help themselves. He used to say “We need to help the children get to the starting line of life, well prepared to take on the challenges of an uncertain future.” And on this point we agree.
5. Were you voted “Most likely” to do anything in particular in high school? What was it? And what would most surprise your high school classmates about the person you’ve become?
I don’t think they would be that surprised. I was an organizer, and a coach more than an individual star. Whether it was organizing some of the best student events in the history of our school or being the leader of our soccer team without ever personally scoring a goal, I always focused on making the people around be the best they could be. I enjoyed doing the jobs that nobody else wanted to do but were necessary. I did the hardest things, the dirty jobs, because I knew they were the most important to do well.
Alley's website: http://www.allenalley.com/
1. If the tax increases are voted down in the January election, what should lawmakers do to make up for the expected budget shortfall?
We need to work over the next few months to make sure this does not happen. That is why I am working hard to spread the word about the potential cuts and encouraging voters to pass Measures 66 & 67.
Measures 66 & 67 are reasonable, prudent and will preserve funding for education, basic services and public safety.
If Measures 66 & 67 were to fail, my hope is that lawmakers and the governor will protect education funding and vital safety-net services. This must be a priority for our state and is one for me in my campaign.
2. How would you describe the relationship you hope to foster with the legislature — and how would you foster it?
The governor and the legislature must become more collaborative. It is not for the governor to propose and the legislature to dispose on the budget and potential bills. The governor must bring in legislators from both parties early in the process. The Governor must lead. He or she must be involved throughout.
This collaborative process is how I have worked through out my career with great success. My background as a State Senator and understanding of the legislative process will be helpful in this regard. I will be mindful and respectful of both legislative chambers while working to pass meaningful legislation that will put people back to work, full fund education and protect our environment. I know that with this type of approach our state can be governed effectively.
3. What would you use the governor’s bully pulpit to champion?
I will champion creating jobs for Oregon workers by transitioning to a sustainable economy and positioning Oregon as a leader in innovative growth industries like renewable energy.
I strongly believe that the future of Oregon and our economy is based on new economy industries like solar, wind and green construction. We are already a national leader in those areas and I will use the Governor’s bully pulpit to make us a worldwide leader.
Over the past four years I have given more than 200 presentations on Global Climate Change and its impact on Oregon. We are now at the point where by building a sustainable economy we can create jobs and help deal with the crisis.
4. How do you think historians will view Gov. Kulongoski’s tenure?
During the Governor Kulongoski’s tenure we began to take on the problems ignored by previous governors. For example Governor Kulongoski reformed the PERS system when previous governors would not. He also began the focus on creating a green and sustainable economy in Oregon. A focus I will continue if elected Governor.
But what he might be best remembered for is the growth of Oregon’s State Park system. Under his tenure we’ve added at least one park every year.
5. Were you voted “Most likely” to do anything in particular in high school? What was it? And what would most surprise your high school classmates about the person you’ve become?
We did not have the category but I would have probable been voted most spirited. In school I was interested in covering the action as a reporter and photographer. I think my classmates would be surprised to see me become a part of the action itself.
Bradbury's website: http://bradbury2010.com/
1. If the tax increases are voted down in the January election, what should lawmakers do to make up for the expected budget shortfall?
I would look at the facts and figures before deciding what to do.
2. How would you describe the relationship you hope to foster with the legislature — and how would you foster it?
If elected, I would hope to work with the legislature in a constructive way.
3. What would you use the governor’s bully pulpit to champion?
One of the most important issues would be salmon recovery in the Columbia River and its tributaries.
4. How do you think historians will view Gov. Kulongoski’s tenure?
His time in office will be viewed as average.
5. Were you voted “Most likely” to do anything in particular in high school? What was it? And what would most surprise your high school classmates about the person you’ve become?
No. People would be surprised at the number of times I have been a candidate for public office.
1. If the tax increases are voted down in the January election, what should lawmakers do to make up for the expected budget shortfall?
Oregon is faced with hard budget realities. If the tax measures fail, the difficulties get harder still. Lawmakers must redouble their efforts to stabilize with Oregon's tax system, which is one of the most volatile in the country. We oscillate between having more money than budgeted – which we return instead of saving for a rainy day – to having much less than required. The kicker refund further amplifies the system’s inherent instability and kills our ability to fund schools and operate our government effectively. That said, the larger problem is Oregon's unemployment which has been in the top ten for the past twelve years. We are facing a crisis. Our state government has a significant role to play getting Oregonians back to work in competitive jobs so we can support education and the other services we need. This is the single-most important issue facing the state.
2. How would you describe the relationship you hope to foster with the legislature — and how would you foster it?
The relationship I intend to develop with our state legislators will be based on trust, fueled by integrity and defined by a single word: collaborative. A relationship where we act quickly when we agree, work hard to find new possibilities when we disagree, and strive every day to make the pie bigger for all Oregonians. As governor, I will accelerate the legislature’s ability to make progress by leading the conversation about the vision and direction that drive our future prosperity. Oregonians largely agree on what is important, what we disagree on is how to accomplish it. But disagreement is no excuse for not making progress. That’s where leadership is required – finding new ways of solving the problems that threaten our future. That is hard work and it takes a willingness to listen to all sides, knowing the answer lies in the different points of view.
3. What would you use the governor’s bully pulpit to champion?
The bully pulpit creates a forum for leadership, and I will lead by creating more jobs and reinvesting in our education system. This great state is at a crossroads. We must get serious about how to prosper in the 21st century or risk our ability to protect all we cherish and believe possible. I intend to keep talking with Oregonians – throughout the campaign and throughout my term as governor. I am fond of saying ideas don’t solve problems, people do. I have seen great ideas go down in flames solely because people cannot move them forward. We do not lack ideas. We lack the alignment and commitment to turn ideas into action. That takes real leadership and ongoing conversation. I have the real-world experience as a problem solver and leader to tackle the hard issues and create a new economic reality for Oregon.
4. How do you think historians will view Gov. Kulongoski’s tenure?
Each leader brings unique strengths to an office. Governor Kulongoski is a dedicated public servant who has worked hard to govern the state well. Still, despite his earnest efforts, we have made insufficient progress on the big problems. There are times I would have taken more of a leadership role, particularly in engaging with the legislature. We have suffered from a lack of vision among our leaders and a shortage of meaningful interaction with the public over what is important. The more important question is where are we headed now? The next governor must be able to put Oregonians to work by building a new economic reality and reinvest in our future through an unwavering commitment to education. That is strength I possess that no recent governor has brought to the party.
5. Were you voted “Most likely” to do anything in particular in high school? What was it? And what would most surprise your high school classmates about the person you’ve become?
I don’t recall being voted “most likely” for anything as I graduated from Thurston High School in Springfield. If I was “most likely” to do something, it was that I was willing to do things others were not. I spent much of my junior year in Costa Rica as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange. At 16, I left my friends—along with my chance to play varsity basketball—to live in a foreign country where I didn’t speak the language. It was an extraordinary experience, and I even made the varsity team when I returned—though just barely. Perhaps my classmates might today be most surprised by my entry into politics. But the really big problems in our society must be solved in the political arena, and it’s not surprising to anyone who knows me well that if that’s where the challenge is, that’s where I’ll go.
1. If the tax increases are voted down in the January election, what should lawmakers do to make up for the expected budget shortfall?
The tax increases will not be approved. Lawmakers will have to make the cuts required to balance the budget - a constitutional requirement. Public employments will have to be reduced, programs eliminated. Our constitution designates the Secretary of State to audit public agencies. Kate Brown should already be on task with this and have recommend cuts to the legislature in January. If history is a guide however, when governments are forced to cut back they typically don't cut waste, they cut essential services that make the public squawk. Hopefully this won't be the case but if it is I'll step in to do my own audits and make the cuts myself.
2. How would you describe the relationship you hope to foster with the legislature — and how would you foster it?
I've already declared my intent to issue several Executive Orders if elected. And my intent to jail the legislators if they don't provide the money for publicly financed elections. I'd have to say we're off to a rocky start.
3. What would you use the governor’s bully pulpit to champion?
I have listed my campaign promises here: www.viva-la-revolucion.org - a state-owned bank to invest in infrastructure projects to get us back to work, pardons for victimless crime convictions (about half the prison population), publicly financed elections, legalization of hemp, single-payer legal for resolving disputes without cost to litigants, single-payer healthcare and empowering juries to judge the law.
4. How do you think historians will view Gov. Kulongoski’s tenure?
I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it. Next question please.
5. Were you voted “Most likely” to do anything in particular in high school? What was it? And what would most surprise your high school classmates about the person you’ve become?
The Commandant at my military school wrote to the Air Force when I was trying to get into fighter pilot school to say that I had very strong leadership characteristics but would never lead the troops in the direction he would want them to go. Needless to say, a less mutinous officer was found to take the slot. I don't think any of my classmates are surprised a bit. Or so they tell me.
Wilson's website: http://www.viva-la-revolucion.org/
Note: While Jerry Wilson is not currently affiliated with a political party, according to the Oregonian's Jeff Mapes he will seek the Oregon Progressive Party's nomination.
Get in the Draw for Al Gore Tickets!
Do you have a question you'd like to ask Al Gore? The Vice President is coming to town and will spend an hour with 40 lucky people here in the studios of OPB. This special show will be recorded on Wednesday, November 18th from 5-6 pm. If you'd like to get in the draw for tickets please email us by 10 am on Friday, November 13th. And of course, as always, the conversation has begun already online. Please post your questions for Al Gore, regardless of whether you've entered the drawing or not!
And you might be interested to know that OPB regularly has ticket give-a-ways. To find out about future opportunities, and to get more information about what's going on at the station, subscribe to the OPB E-news.
A Family Portrait
In case you like to put a face to a voice, here's a photo of the Carr family — John, Angie, Eva (with Harmonica), and Pierre (with Noodle) — taken after today's Urban Chickens show:
The Carrs were gracious hosts. I arrived as they were sitting down to a breakfast of toast and bacon and bright yellow backyard eggs. They offered me a bite but, in a fit of journalistic scruples, I said no. After all, I didn't want to bias my hard-hitting reporting because of the rich, lingering taste of a mouthful of eggs.
It was a major tactical mistake.
I realized that on the way back to the studio after the show when, ravenous, I got a greasy but tasteless egg and sausage sandwich from a locally heralded chain.
I've learned my lesson. I'll be ready when we cover heritage pigs...
Ideas from Cliff
After most of our shows, Emily calls our guests to thank them for being on, and to let them know that future show ideas are always welcome. Sometimes a past guest will send us an email with a pitch, or give us a call. But never has anyone called back with a list like Cliff Bentz. Representative Bentz (R-Ontario) was on our race and representation show last week, but he didn't limit his suggestion to politics. How about a show on school nutrition? Or feral pets? Or kids and homework? He gave us enough ideas for two weeks of shows.
Cliff, maybe you want to join us for a few weeks to help produce them?
Here (with his permission!) is his voicemail.
Primary Concerns
This comment from Porter1828 at the end of yesterday's Medicare Reimbursement show caught my attention:
Primary care is not always the best way to care for patients with chronic illness. There is too much information for doctors to keep up on all the current recommendations for certain problems. At Kaiser Permanente, nephrologists provide all care for people with chronic kidney disease, heart failure patients are followed by cardiologists and nurse practitioners and pts with diabetics are followed by diabetic nurse specialists.
Trying to get Primary care doctors to know all areas well can detract from care. We often see people with heart failure, for example, being treated with inhalers by PCPs who are not used to chronic heart failure care and patients.
It's hard to find a consensus about anything in this ongoing healthcare debate. But if I've heard anything approaching a seemingly uncontroversial consensus, it's that primary care should play a larger role in American healthcare — both to make us healthier and to keep costs down — not a smaller one. (Among many other places, you could hear that idea emerging prominently on our recent health promotion show.)
So I called Porter1828 to find out why specialists, not primary care docs, deserve more attention.
It turns out that Porter1828 is Susan Porter, a nurse practitioner specializing in arrhythmias and defibrillators at Kaiser Permanente. She reiterated what she'd written in the post, and then told me:
The primary care person is normally seen as a gatekeeper. You do everything you can before you send the patient on to the specialist. I think that’s the wrong model. Medicine is getting so complex, and changing so quickly, that no primary care physician can be expected to keep up with everything.
I heard [on the show] the idea that if we want to keep costs down, we should stay away from specialists. I don’t think that’s right. I think it’s the incentives that need to change. Specialists shouldn’t get more money for ordering more tests.
...which opens up a whole other conversation. As it turns out, if you're interested in this question of incentives, you might want to check out the hour we did on and doctors' salaries and compensation.
