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There is a great documentary film about a couple of 20-something men from Oregon driving to Panama.  Almost every night of their trip, families invite them into their homes to stay a night.  Often feeding them dinner, once participating in a kids' birthday party.

There is introspective narration asking why this generosity is so common in Mexico and Central America, and so rare in the USA.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474235/

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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Even your phrasing of the question serves to continue the harm done when our policy questions are restricted to two possibly meritless answers.

Everyone would be better served if the we were all more interested in facts, and instead discussed the goal of the policy, and how well the policy meets the goal based on information.

The health care "compromise" was bad, for instance, because one position "government takeover" had nothing to do with problem solving, it was pure fear mongering.  Compromising with this kind of position is never beneficial.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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I am white and I lived in Portland for 10 years, 1982 - 1992.  During that time I knew a mixed-race couple.  I was shocked to learn that they experienced racism in many forms.  Not just being harassed for walking together in NE Portland, not just being pulled over to make sure the black man was not somehow victimizing the white woman, but housing that was offered the white woman was later denied the couple when the black male appeared.

When our family rented our house to an African American couple, we saw our former neighbors harass the nice people we had rented to.

It is a problem that these things happen, and I'm confident they still happen.  Part of the difficulty is that these behaviors are invisible to most white people.  

The large white majority needs to know this behavior exists at a personal and institutional level, and needs to be a part of the solution.  We may not be able to outlaw personal racism, but we must do what we can to eliminate institutional racism through policy and enforcement.

posted 3 years ago
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I have been watching our district reduce local staff for years.  What percentage of state education dollars goes to the local districts, and what percent goes to the State Department of Education and the Regional Education Service Districts and why?  Has Oregon been reducing services at those levels as well?  With local districts already working beyond the classroom on curriculum and adopting textbooks, is there some redundancy in services here?  If so, where should we be cutting back?

posted 3 years ago
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I would love to hear, especially from no voters who argued that this was the wrong way to raise additional revenue, what overall tax system they would support, that does get revenue to the level we need.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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I support Rhapsody in Blue and anything by the Beatles (a Seattle station used to play all songs A-Z on new year's day) and for comforting the soul:

Willie Nelson, Stardust.

Break up song: Rickie Lee Jones, First Album, "Company"

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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My understanding is that Comcast has the priviledge to provide services to the Portland community under contract with the city. I would like to hear what authority the city(ies) might have to require more reasonable pricing of comcast next time the contract is up for negotiation. Some amount of public service is required.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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I used to take an early bus from Sandy Blvd near 82nd into downtown for a 5:30 am shift as a barista. It didn't matter how I dressed, cars would approach the bus stop and slow down, sometimes roll down their windows. This is as afraid as I have ever felt in Portland, Oregon. It's not a comfortable situation to be in, a young woman alone in the wee hours, the sun barely rising. I would think Tri-Met would have a particular interest in addressing this as a security issue.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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What would appropriately priced gas look like? Would it have to include a tax that reflects the external costs? If oil cartels simply raise the price to the equivalent price, would that suffice?

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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How do I get a copy of the film Clear Cut? I live in Corvallis, but missed the screenings while it was here. I've requested it from Netflix, but nothing yet.

posted 5 years ago
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How do I get a copy of the film Clear Cut? I live in Corvallis, but missed the screenings while it was here. I've requested it from Netflix, but nothing yet.

posted 5 years ago
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My sister was married to a black american when the OJ event happened. I was not able to talk to my sister about that issue, ever. I think the most important thing is figuring out how to talk about race, and Obama is leading the way for us in that and I am grateful. OSU Office of Diversity is also putting together a series of short films in which they ask the University community about which race and cultural groups they identify with and what that means in this society. It's a great way to start the conversation for people who are interested.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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Race is slipping through the cracks. Living in a very white state makes it hard to recognize what it is like for non-whites to live here. I would love for the people of this state to hear about what some people encounter here, and to have a conversation about how to make Oregon a better place for everyone to live. I fear that if we don't do a better job of improving our cultural competencies Oregon will be a place only white people who want to keep it white will move to. Check out orst.edu to see the Voices Project for ideas. Also, the Oregonian had a recent story on a N Portland neighborhood (Alberta?) where whites are moving into a traditionally black neighborhood and how they have started meeting together to plan community events. Very cool.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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"Better Together" edited or compiled by Robert Putnam (author of "Bowling Alone") is a great book on how things have been changing since the 50s, or how we might get back to greater civic participation. The last chapter is specifically on Portland and why it is different from most places around the country.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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Chalkboard.org would be a great resource for you on the education question. They have worked with folks on all sides of public education including teachers and parents. It's also a great example of local trusts getting together to try to solve a public issue: how do we make our education system as good as we think it should be?

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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I would like to hear how Measure 49 was crafted. I think of it as a huge accomplishment that the community was able to agree on something different from Measure 37. It goes right the the heart of land use planning and why farm and forest folks apparently agreed that we need some regulation after all.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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The problem has been that our tax is increased only by vote, and it is levied per gallon. Improvements in gas efficiency actually lower the amount of tax collected per mile driven on the roads. And there are lobbies that make it hard to talk about it.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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