Fighting Back on Campus and in the City: Frann Michel hosts this episode about fighting back against attacks on academic freedom and on grassroots democratic movements for a liveable city, featuring these segments (follow the links for more information on the segment pages):
Academic Freedom Under Attack: In August of this year, Jennifer Ruth came on to the Old Mole to explain how Title VI of the Civil Rights Act had become the primary legal instrument for repressing student protests and free speech on college campuses in the name of combating antisemitism. In this update to that report, Jan Haaken talks with Ruth about how actions in the Biden administration set the stage for the expanded use of Title VI and the intensified assaults of the Trump regime. They also discuss recent disciplinary actions against staff and faculty, including locally at Portland State University, and areas where the crackdowns are generating resistance.
Taxing and Investing: Business interests in the Portland Metro area continue deceptive attacks on voter-approved measures to make the city more climate resilient, support housing, and provide preschool for all children by taxing the rich. Frann Michel talks with economist Mary King about fighting back against these tales and about maintaining program reserves to balance swings in income, raising revenue, and reorienting city policy for a more affordable Portland.
Announcements!
Defend Preschool for All
Monday, December 8, from 11:30-1 at the Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd
Join a protest to demand Preschool for All be rolled out as approved 2:1 by voters! The governor just launched her re-election campaign by offering cuts to the Preschool for All program to cater to billionaires like Tim Boyle, pretending that downtown’s woes are due to the PFA tax. It’s just the latest excuse for why the wealthy shouldn’t pay their fair share of taxes. They’re still spinning the “downtown doom loop” story, no matter how many times it’s been debunked.
Kotek is speaking at an Oregon Business Plan summit; this is a chance to show her and the anti-tax business lobby that they can’t get away with undoing behind closed doors what the voters overwhelmingly approved.
The truth is:
- There are more and more wealthy people in Multnomah County every year
- It’s the work-from-home revolution pulling down the value of downtown office buildings, not taxes
- The legion of wealthy Californians are paying higher income taxes than anyone in Oregon
- PFA has no “surplus” – all of that money (— and likely more) — is needed to expand to full universality
- Universal preschool programs are FAR BETTER for the local economy than business tax cuts, and raise everyone’s incomes
Thursday, December 11th at 6pm at Portland State University's Smith Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway, Rm. 327/8.
Portland Jobs with Justice is putting Labcorp in the Hot Seat. Labcorp is a for-profit corporation that buys and runs hospital labs. They understaff them and underpay their employees, with negative consequences for patient care. This is happening at multiple hospitals around Portland where Labcorp continues to rebuff efforts by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Care Professionals to improve conditions.
Concerned about this situation, the Portland Jobs with Justice Workers’ Rights Board invites the community to a hearing on conditions at Labcorp facilities and ways to encourage productive negotiations between the union and Labcorp representatives. The panel will hear testimony from medical experts, lab workers, patients, and union representatives.
RSVP here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/labcorp-on-trial