Policy for the People
Oregon Center for Public Policy
Subscribe
Welcome to Policy for the People, a show that explores the public policies that can lift up all Oregonians. This show is a collaboration between KMUZ radio (kmuz.org) and the Oregon Center for Public Policy (ocpp.org).
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
2 days ago
One big corporation keeps us from having a free, simple tax filing system
Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has used all kinds of tricks to keep our tax system complicated and expensive. Most Americans pay the price, especially those who can least afford it. But there is legislation in Congress that would fix the problem, creating a truly free and simple tax filing system for most folks. Guests: *Janet Bauer of The Oregon Center for Public Policy* and *Susan Harley of Public Citizen*.
playlist_add
Jul 8, 2022
Reproductive justice is economic justice
The U.S. Supreme Court decision ending of the constitutional right to abortion threatens economic harm to many. In our first segment of this episode, we discuss the economic impact of the court's ruling with* Asha Banerjee, an Economic Analyst with the Economic Policy Institute*.
Did you know one in four minimum wage workers in Oregon are parents? In our second segment, *OCPP Policy Analyst Tyler Mac Innis* discusses the increase in Oregon's minimum wage that just went into effect, and how far our minimum wage remains from being a living wage.
playlist_add
Jun 9, 2022
The rich don't need more money: why we need to reform the "kicker"
A few weeks ago, we learned that a $3 billion "kicker" rebate could be on its way. As usual, the rich would get huge checks, while the lowest-income Oregonians -- those who could really use some extra money to pay the bills -- would get chump change. In this episode, we hear from *Mark McMullen, head of the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis*, about the state of Oregon's economy and the prospects of a new kicker. We also hear from *Daniel Hauser, the Oregon Center for Public Policy's Director of Strategic Policy Projects*, on what's wrong with the kicker and how to reform it to serve the interests of all Oregonians.
playlist_add
May 12, 2022
Oregon's biggest housing program is a wreck
Oregon's biggest housing program, the mortgage interest deduction, does nothing to ease the state's long-running housing crisis. That's because this billion-dollar housing subsidy mainly benefits well-off homeowners. This is only one of the many flaws of the mortgage interest deduction, according to a recent audit by the Oregon Secretary of State's Office. In this episode of Policy for the People, we talk with *Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan* and *Audits Director Kip Memmott* about what the audit revealed.
Read the audit Without Legislative Action the Mortgage Interest Deduction Will Remain Regressive and Inequitable.
playlist_add
Apr 14, 2022
Cash works: why Oregon needs guaranteed income
Large scale experiments carried out during the pandemic have given a boost to an old idea: addressing poverty and economic insecurity by giving people cash with no strings attached. In this episode, we speak with *State Representative Andrea Valderrama (HD 47)* about the legislature's recent decision to send a one-time payment of $600 to low-paid workers in Oregon. Also, *OCPP Director of Policy Research Janet Bauer* discusses the growing body of evidence showing that guaranteed income and other cash policies are effective at addressing economic insecurity.
playlist_add
Mar 10, 2022
What the tax code means for gender justice
On Women's History Month, Policy for the People explores the gender biases in the tax code and reforms that can advance gender justice. We discuss these issues with Amy Matsui, Director of Income Security and Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center.
playlist_add
Feb 10, 2022
Oregon's child care crisis
With guests Andrea Paluso of Family Forward Oregon and Mary King, economics professor emeritus at Portland State University, we examine Oregon’s child care crisis – the challenges it poses for families, child care workers, and the economy. And we discuss the kinds of policy changes that can set things right.
playlist_add
Jan 13, 2022
How deportation harms families and the state's economy
Despite often performing work considered essential to the nation's critical infrastructure, undocumented workers live under the constant fear of deportation. In this episode of Policy for the People, Janet Bauer of the Oregon Center for Public Policy and Isa Peña of Innovation Law Lab discuss how deportation wreaks havoc on families and weakens Oregon's economy, as well as what the state can do to reduce the harm.
Learn more: read the report Deportation harms Oregon's economy and upends family security.
playlist_add
Dec 10, 2021
The Racist Roots of Oregon's Tax System
In this special episode of Policy for the People, we share a recording of a presentation by the Oregon Center for Public Policy titled "The Racist Roots of Oregon's Tax System." Listen to OCPP communications director Juan Carlos Ordóñez discuss how Oregon's tax system entrenches and even deepens racial inequality.
playlist_add
Nov 12, 2021
How the superrich exploit domestic tax havens
One of the biggest tax havens in the world *—* one of the main places where the superrich go to stash their money and avoid taxes *—* is the U.S. This is largely due to the fact that a number of U.S. states have transformed themselves into tax havens. In this episode of Policy for the People, we talk to Kalena Thomhave, a researcher with the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, about the rise of domestic tax havens and how they make the already severe problem of vast wealth inequality even worse.
playlist_add
Oct 8, 2021
Why we need Build Back Better
In this episode, we discuss the Build Back Better legislation before Congress. Samantha Jacoby of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and OCPP's Alejandro Queral explain what this transformational legislation would mean for the nation and Oregon.
playlist_add
Sep 10, 2021
Poor quality jobs abound
In this episode of Policy for the People, we explore the problem of poor quality jobs — jobs that pay too little to adequately support a family and that often come with few if any benefits. OCPP Senior Policy Analyst Janet Bauer explains the dimensions of the problem and what Oregon can do to address it.
You can dive deeper into the issue by reading our report Poor Quality Jobs Predominate in Strong Economy.
playlist_add
Aug 13, 2021
Income inequality remains the defining challenge of our times
The latest data confirms the wide disparities by income that existed on the eve of the pandemic. In this show, OCPP Executive Director Alejandro Queral discusses the latest figures on inequality, why economic inequality harms Oregonians, and what kinds of policies changes are needed to shrink inequality.
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2021
Undocumented workers: essential yet excluded
Undocumented workers in Oregon are more likely than not to perform work considered essential during the pandemic, yet they were left out of federal emergency assistance that other workers received. In this episode, Martha Sonato of PCUN, Oregon's farmworker union, and OCPP's Janet Bauer discuss the economic challenges faced by Oregon's undocumented workers.
playlist_add
Jun 12, 2021
Latest revenue forecast says the "kicker" is coming
In the latest episode of Policy for the People, we discuss what the state economists are saying about the economy and tax collections.
playlist_add
May 14, 2021
Rental assistance: a key to stabilizing families
While it may seem obvious, providing rent assistance to those unable to afford the rent is the best way to keep people stably housed.
playlist_add
Apr 9, 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act
This episode of Policy for the People examines the American Rescue Plan Act, enacted by Congress in March 2021. As OCPP Senior Policy Analyst Janet Bauer explains, the plan potentially signals a change in direction toward an economy that aims for shared prosperity
playlist_add
Mar 12, 2021
Tax policy through a racial equity lens
Although Oregon tax policy is no longer explicitly racist, it continues to entrench and even deepen racial disparities.
playlist_add
Feb 12, 2021
Wage theft is widespread
Wage theft is widespread and pervasive. Part of the reason for that is because greedy employers face no real downside to stealing the wages of their employees.
playlist_add