Policy for the People
Oregon Center for Public Policy
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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
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Sep 7, 2023
On strike! Hope and challenges for the labor movement
All of the strike activity we’re seeing right now is a hopeful sign for those who want to see an economy that works for everyone. In this episode, we speak with Margaret Poydock and Jennifer Sherer of the Economic Policy Institute, co-authors of the recent report What to know about this summer’s strike activity. We discuss what’s driving the recent wave of strikes, the challenges workers encounter when seeking to strike, and the policy changes that would strengthen workers’ ability to act collectively.
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Aug 10, 2023
Tax extreme wealth to save our democracy
Money is power. And the extreme concentration of wealth that we're seeing means that more and more political power is in the hands of billionaires, who use that power to further increase their wealth, according to today’s guest, *Bob Lord*. Bob is the Senior Advisor on Tax Policy for Patriotic Millionaires, as well as an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.
In this episode of Policy for the People, we talk with Bob Lord about why taxing the rich is essential in order to shrink inequality and save our democracy.
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Jul 13, 2023
Is it time for a new minimum wage fight in Oregon?
On July 1, workers in one region of Oregon achieved what once seemed an inspired goal. The minimum wage in the Portland metro area — not in the rest of the state — crossed the $15 an hour level. But this milestone arrived more than a decade after workers across the country began demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage.
In this episode, we examine how much actual progress Oregon’s minimum wage workers made since the legislature established a new minimum wage law seven years ago.
We finish with a brief discussion on a big win for Oregon’s most vulnerable children: the legislature’s decision to establish the Oregon Kids' Credit, a new state child tax credit.
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Jun 8, 2023
Pride and poverty: economic insecurity in the LGBT community
Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that threats of violence against the LGBT community are on the rise. We’ve also seen a slew of anti-LGBT legislation in statehouses across the country. In addition to increased hostility and threats to physical safety, the LGBT community also faces higher levels of another form of violence, what Gandhi described as “the worst form of violence”: poverty.
In this episode of Policy for the People, we discuss the issue of poverty in the LGBT community with Dr. Bianca D.M. Wilson, a Senior Scholar of Public Policy with the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. The Williams Institute is the nation’s leading research center on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.
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May 24, 2023
What's at stake for Oregonians in the debt ceiling negotiations
The clock is ticking on the nation’s ability to pay its debts, as U.S. House Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats and the White House agree to steep budget cuts. While much of the attention has been on the economic crisis that could follow a default by the U.S. on its debt obligations, that’s not the only risk facing the nation and our state.
In this special episode of Policy for the People, we examine what’s at stake for Oregonians in the debt ceiling negotiations.
OCPP executive director Alejandro Queral spoke with *Whitney Tucker, Director of State Fiscal Policy Research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities*, about the economic hardship that would fall on Oregonians from the budget cuts sought by House Republicans.
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May 11, 2023
Tax policy fuels extreme wealth inequality: two examples
Over the past four-and-a-half decades, we have seen economic inequality return with a vengeance. We're living through a new Gilded Age, comparable to the one at the turn of the 19th Century. The first Gilded Age was the age of Rockefeller and Carnegie; ours is the age of Bezos and Knight. The return of extreme wealth inequality is the result of public policy choices, not least decisions in how we tax the superrich.
In this episode of Policy for the People, we look at two different policies on how we tax – or don’t tax – the wealthy. In the first segment, we examine the tax break known as Opportunity Zones. *Bennett Minton of Tax Fairness Oregon* explains why this is a tax break where only the rich can play.
In the second segment, the *Oregon Center for Public Policy’s Daniel Hauser* discusses a recent attempt by some Oregon lawmakers to fast-track a repeal of the estate tax – the only real mechanism we have in Oregon for taxing extreme wealth.
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Apr 27, 2023
Food for All Oregonians: a key step to ending hunger in Oregon
Many families in Oregon struggle to put food on the table, and this is especially true for many immigrant families. They are excluded from the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As a result, many immigrants – including the very people who grow, harvest, and process the food we eat – cannot access federal food assistance.
But there is hope on the horizon. Oregon Senate Bill 610, known as Food for All Oregonians, would extend food assistance to immigrant families where the federal government fails to do so.
In this episode of Policy for the People, we talk about SB 610 with *Fatima Jawaid Marty, the campaign manager for Food for All Oregonians*, and *Aldo Solano, the Strategic Partnerships Manager at the Oregon Food Bank*.
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Apr 13, 2023
Invisible no more: the essential work of care workers
Care workers play a vital role in our communities. They feed, bathe, and otherwise care for those who cannot take care of themselves. In doing so, care workers make it possible for others to go to work and live their lives. Unfortunately, care workers get paid low wages and few benefits, all while performing physically and emotionally demanding work.
In this episode, we speak with *Melissa Unger, Executive Director of SEIU Local 503*, about the challenges facing care workers – specifically, those who perform long-term care work. We discuss what Oregon lawmakers should do to ensure that care workers can take care of themselves and their families.
One of the policies that could go a long way in improving working conditions for long-term care workers is what's known as a “wage board.” We end the show with a conversation with *Janet Bauer, Director of Policy Research at the Oregon Center for Public Policy*, about the benefits of wage boards.
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Mar 9, 2023
Families need the Oregon Kids' Credit
Right now, the Oregon legislature is considering a bill that would establish the Oregon Kids' Credit. This state child tax credit would put money in the pockets of the families with the fewest resources, helping them cover the rent, pay for food and other essentials. The need for a state child tax credit became all the more urgent after Congress failed to renew the enhanced federal child tax credit that did so much to reduce poverty in our nation in 2021.
We discuss the Oregon Kids' Credit proposal with two of its champions, *State Representatives Andrea Valderrama* and *Lisa Reynolds*.
But first we look at how the enhanced federal child tax credit made a crucial difference in the life of one family in Oregon.
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Feb 9, 2023
Subsidies for semiconductors: the risks for Oregonians
One of the big topics of discussion in Salem right now is whether to provide new subsidies for semiconductor companies like Intel. This push for new subsidies stems from the congressional enactment of the CHIPS Act, by which the federal government has pledged tens of billions of dollars to ramp up semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. Understandably, Oregon lawmakers are eager to see some of that money flow to Oregon.
But are corporate subsidies worth the cost? Do business incentives actually accomplish what state and local governments hope to achieve? And what should Oregon lawmakers do in response to the semiconductor industry’s current call for new state subsidies?
In this episode of Policy for the People, we explore these questions with two guests: *Greg LeRoy, executive director at Good Jobs First*, and *John Calhoun, a volunteer with Tax Fairness Oregon*.
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Jan 12, 2023
A blueprint for Universal Health Care in Oregon
Is there a way for Oregon to ensure that everyone in our state has access to affordable, quality health care? And can it be done at a lower cost compared to our current, complicated system of health care?
There is, according to a group of experts, policymakers, and community members who spent about two years looking into these questions. Created by the Oregon legislature, the Task Force on Universal Health Care has produced a blueprint for a single-payer health care system in Oregon. In this episode of Policy for the People, we speak with *Dr. Bruce Goldberg, chair of the task force*, about what such a system would mean for individuals and families, health providers, and employers.
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Dec 8, 2022
Wyden: The Child Tax Credit is Social Security for kids
The strengthening of the federal Child Tax Credit in 2021 caused child poverty to plummet. Unfortunately, those changes were temporary. And now, millions of kids across the country are falling back into poverty, due to congressional action.
In this episode of Policy for the People, *Oregon Senator Ron Wyden* talks about his efforts to bring back the enhanced Child Tax Credit before the year ends — before a new Congress takes its seat in January.
Our focus on kids continues in our second segment. *Ivy Major-McDowall, Policy and Advocacy Director at Our Children Oregon*, discusses what the data says about the well-being of Oregon’s children.
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Nov 21, 2022
Trans data matters: the importance of the U.S. Transgender Survey
In addition to violence and discrimination, the transgender community faces a challenge that few others do: the fact that the federal government collects almost no data about the trans community. The absence of reliable data about the realities experienced by the transgender community makes it harder for the community to fight for justice. In the absence of government-collected data about the trans community, one particular resource has helped fill the void: the U.S. Trans Survey.
*Seth Johnstone, Transgender Justice Program Manager with Basic Rights Oregon*, discusses the importance of increasing visibility and awareness of the transgender community, as well as the importance of the U.S. Trans Survey.
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Nov 10, 2022
Our labor, their fortunes: Billionaires capture Oregon's wealth
Wealth inequality is at mind-boggling levels. A new report by the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) shows how much of Oregon’s wealth is in the hands of a few billionaires. *OCPP Policy Analyst Tyler Mac Innis* explains just how extreme wealth inequality is in Oregon and the factors driving inequality.
But how does Oregon compare to the rest of the country? *Carl Davis, Research Director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy*, explains how Oregon stacks up in terms of wealth inequality and how federal tax policy is a key tool for reducing inequality.
Read OCPP's report *Wealth Inequality in Oregon Is Extreme*.
Read ITEP's report *The Geographic Distribution of Extreme Wealth in the U.S.*
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Oct 13, 2022
How Measure 113 aims to end legislative walkouts
In recent years, some lawmakers have failed to show up for work as a tactic to derail legislation. We speak with *Tan Perkins, campaign manager for Measure 113*, about the harm that legislative walkouts inflicts on Oregonians, and how the measure would deter walkouts.
In the second segment of the show, *Audrey Mechling of the Oregon Center for Public Policy* explains the good, the bad, and the ugly in the latest poverty figures.
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Sep 8, 2022
A re-energized labor movement sparks hope
In an earlier era, a vibrant labor movement nurtured a broad middle class. But half-a-century ago, under severe attack from corporations, the fortunes of organized labor began to turn for the worse.
Right now, though, we are seeing hopeful signs of a revival of union power, explains *Mark Brenner, an economist and co-director of the Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) at the University of Oregon*. Mark discusses the past and present state of the labor movement.
Few workers face greater challenges than farmworkers, who endure low-pay and dangerous working conditions while performing truly essential work. In the second half of the show, *Reyna Lopez, executive director of Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)*, discusses the challenges faced by Oregon’s farmworker movement, as well as its achievements and aspirations.
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Aug 11, 2022
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*.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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