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As a PSU alum, I'd like to publicly thank Dr. Wiewel for representing the university so well, particularly in the face of the misrepresentations, bluster, and thinly-veiled racism demonstrated by Mr. Ludwick (and echoed in some of the comments above).

Citizenship is an accident of birth. Many of us who happened to be born in the US would fail the tests that come with the process of changing citizenship to become an American - which in itself is a sad commentary on the state of our educational system.  Whatever one's views on illegal immigration, HB 2939, etc, it is important to have compassion for the young people caught in the midst of this political and social debate.  Many of us have had struggles to contend with in our own lives - can we not respect the effort being made by others as they struggle with different circumstances?

Personally, I support HB 2939 and federal legislation that sensibly addresses ways to put illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship while also achieving a straightforward system for future migrants to legally enter the country.

I respect that others have different views, and am more than happy to discuss them in a civil, reasoned fashion - for instance, I appreciated the respectful way Mr. Friedman argued his case. But the prejudice, anger, and lack of respect on display whenever these issues are raised is disheartening and counterproductive.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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I've enjoyed listening to the show about Venture Capital, but it got me thinking about the non-profit sector. Perhaps you could do a show about starting non-profits in Oregon, and the climate for non-profits in an economic downturn? You could talk to folks at PSU's center for non-profits, local foundations that support non-profits, state organizations like the Cultural Heritage Trust, and of course people that have started different kinds of non-profits around the state. Would also be an interesting link to the social entrepreneurship idea mentioned above.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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Mr. MacIntire stated that governments should "plan ahead" to bring tax measures during general elections or mount significant campaigns. Given the suddenness of the current financial crisis, we can all agree that there are circumstances that impact even the best laid plans. Moreover, asking overstretched governments to spend time and resources to mount campaigns doesn't do much to improve the efficiency of government.

Also, Mr. MacIntire: government employees do get laid off - OPB reported on layoffs in one school district just minutes ago. They do pay taxes on their income. The roads you drive on, the schools your children or grandchildren attend, the fire services you depend on in emergencies, all of these things are benefits that all citizens get.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Please ask the McCain surrogate this question: "Does the McCain health care plan tax employer-provided insurance plans as income? If so, how is this justified?"

Please ask the Obama representative: "How specifically does Obama's plan reduce health care premiums paid by small businesses?"

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Although I live in Washington and can't vote in the Oregon Senate race, I have to say that the ads I've seen over the last few months make me want to say "a plague on both their houses." I would probably hold my nose and vote for Merkley, based on Smith's record, but I wouldn't be happy about it.

I lived in the UK for a few years, and I often wish we had their approach to campaign advertising. There, each party is allocated a certain amount of time (perhaps 5 minutes) to state their case during the election. There is a scheduled time listed, so that people know when it is on, all the major parties get the same amount of time, and that is it. There's no paid campaign advertising and no constant barrage of political messages.

Of course, UK elections are only six weeks long...an innovation I wouldn't mind seeing here after the last two years of presidential campaigning!

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Whether in August or at another time, I'd like to see a show dealing with the issue of child sexual abuse and how we deal with it, in our state and as a society. There are obvious local angles one could talk about, for instance the Goldschmidt case, sex offender registries, etc.

I am a survivor, and I often get frustrated by the way that abuse gets reported in the media. Victims get treated as permanently broken, perpetrators are one-dimensional, incurable demons, and the general tendency is to look at cases of abuse by "strangers" when the majority of children are abused by family members or people already known to them. The reality is that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys are abused by the time they are 18, and many of those who become abusers were once abused themselves. This means that we are surrounded every day by both the abused and the perpetrators, whether we know it or not.

One organization, Generation 5 (http://generation5.accountsupport.com/index.asp?sec=1&pg=71) argues that sexual abuse should be treated as a public health issue - an argument I agree with wholeheartedly. I believe we need more investigation into how we can prevent sexual abuse, and provide better access to treatment for both abusers and victims. I'd also like to see better media coverage of survivors of abuse, who, when they have access to support and treatment, often go on to be happy, healthy, successful individuals. (I consider myself one of those).

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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As a native Oregonian, I have lots of memories of collecting bottles. When I was a teenager, my parents saved cans and bottles for me and I used it for gas money (back in the days when $10 worth of returned bottles filled my tank.) In more recent years, I've tended to leave bottles out with my curb recycling in North Portland, and these more often than not were picked up by homeless people who returned them. I am thrilled that the bottle bill will finally be expanded to cover more products, it is about time!

posted 5 years ago
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I think it is important to recognize that depending on private dollars for arts and culture funding influences the art and subject matter that is available to the public. For example, if the local historical society depends on timber money for its funding base, how likely is it to develop an exhibit on the environmental impact of clear-cutting?

The funds that support arts and culture are easily cut in bad economic times - it is hard to argue that they are "essential services". But arts and culture contribute to a community's quality of life and bring others to visit the northwest. We deserve public support for arts and culture, and our arts and culture deserve a stable funding base to help them better serve the public.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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