Friday Forum Archive

30 years at the DA’s Office: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going and the Challenges Ahead

Multnomah County District Attorney, Mike Schrunk
Mike Schrunk
Date: 
February 3, 2012 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Mike Schrunk, Multnomah County District Attorney

During Mike Schrunk’s thirty-year career as Multnomah County’s District Attorney, Portland and the nation have experienced dramatic changes in criminal behavior. When Schrunk first assumed office, violent crimes were on a steep rise. Since the mid-1990s, however, crime rates have reversed, creating one of the safest eras in decades.

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Economic Forecast 2012

Mark McMullen &Tom Potiowsky
Mark McMullen
Tom Potiowsky
Date: 
January 27, 2012 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Mark McMullen, interim director, Office of Economic Analysis
Speaker(s): 
Tom Potiowsky, chair, Department of Economics, Portland State University

As an economic measure, unemployment is everyone's go-to statistic - and with Oregon's unemployment rate finally below 9 percent, there are signs that the economy is looking up. But this rate declined partly because some are giving up the job search. Moreover, the state's economic index just fell for the fourth month in a row - a trend that has, in the past, preceded state recession.

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Are Corporations People? The Impact and Future of "Citizens United"

Janice Thompson and Steven Wilker
Date: 
January 20, 2012 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Janice Thompson, executive director, Common Cause Oregon
Speaker(s): 
Steven M. Wilker, attorney, Tonkon Torp and board member, ACLU-Oregon

Few recent Supreme Court rulings have been as controversial as the landmark 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. In a 5-4 split, the Court ruled that the First Amendment prohibits government from placing limits on independent spending for political purposes by corporations and unions.

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State of the State - SOLD OUT

Governor John Kitzhaber
Governor John Kitzhaber
Date: 
January 13, 2012 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Governor John Kitzhaber

In 2010, as he stepped into his unprecedented third term as Oregon’s Governor, John Kitzhaber quickly set in motion plans to transform state delivery of education and health care, while promising economic growth and job creation.

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First Congressional District Debate

Suzanne Bonamici and Rob Cornilles
Suzanne Bonamici
Rob Cornilles
Date: 
January 6, 2012 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Suzanne Bonamici
Speaker(s): 
Rob Cornilles

Congressman David Wu’s August, 2011 resignation opened the door to challengers in one of Oregon’s most dynamic political regions: Oregon’s 1st Congressional District. Whoever wins the January special election will no doubt face a daunting task: representing a demographically and economically diverse district in a Congress facing public opinion ratings at an all-time low.

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Wine, Civics and Song with the Portland Gay Men's Chorus

Bob Mensel, Artistic Director and singers from the PGMC
Bob Mensel
PGMC
Date: 
December 16, 2011 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Conductor Bob Mensel, Ph.D.
Speaker(s): 
A selection of PGMC Singers

For more than 30 years, the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus has been using music as a medium to address philosophical and social barriers faced by the LGBTQ community. Their musical performances have become powerful tools in the fight for social equality, positive personal identity and increased civic engagement.

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Oregon National Guard and Oregon’s Veterans

Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees and Cameron Smith
Major General Raymond F. Rees
Cameron Smith
Date: 
December 9, 2011 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Major General Raymond F. Rees
Speaker(s): 
Cameron Smith, senior policy advisor, office of Governor Kitzhaber

More than ten years have passed since the attacks of September 11th. Even after a decade of war, the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan and the experiences of our soliders and veterans often remain an abstraction for civilians. Most are unaware that since 2001, over 18,000 Oregon National Guardsmen and Guardswomen have been deployed overseas, with more than 8,000 currently serving. Oregon is also home to 340,000 veterans from all eras.

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Portland's Economic Recovery and the Role of Trade

Bill Wyatt, John Taponga and Elisa Dozono
Bill Wyatt
John Tapogna
Elisa Dozono, Miller Nash LLP
Date: 
December 2, 2011 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Bill Wyatt, executive director, Port of Portland
Speaker(s): 
John Tapogna, president, ECONorthwest
Speaker(s): 
Moderator Elisa Dozono, Miller Nash LLP

Some startling facts:

  • Multnomah County ranked second to last in private sector job creation on the west coast - 198th out of 199 cities and counties in the five western states from 1997 to 2009.
  • Per capita income is 16 to 21 percent higher in Seattle, Denver and Minneapolis than in the Portland-metro region.
     
  • If Portland had the same per capita income as Seattle, Multnomah County schools would have $86.6 million in additional funding.

These are staggering facts made even more threatening by the state of our local economy. Yet, there is a bright spot. Greater Portland is an export powerhouse. It ranked second in the nation in growth in value of exports between 2003 and 2008 — and our traded sector is poised for expansion, if we take the right steps now. Come hear Bill Wyatt, executive director at the Port of Portland and John Tapogna, managing director of EcoNorthwest, discuss the trends that could lead us back to a more prosperous future. Discussion moderated by attorney Elisa Dozono of Miller Nash LLP.

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Portland Parks: Cultivating the City's Living Legacy

Zari Santner, former director, Portland Parks and Rec
Zari Santner
Date: 
November 18, 2011 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Zari Santner, former director, Portland Parks and Recreation

National studies increasingly show what communities know instinctively: open spaces and recreation opportunities are important to quality of life. Parks are an essential component of community life, producing measureable health, environmental, social and economic benefits.

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From Wall Street to Main Street: Can "Occupy" Become a Political Force?

Bob Liebman and David Sarasohn
Bob Liebman
David Sarasohn
Date: 
November 11, 2011 - 12:15pm
Speaker(s): 
Bob Liebman, Professor of Sociology, PSU
Speaker(s): 
David Sarasohn, columnist, "The Oregonian"

On September 17, protestors occupied Wall Street, declaring themselves “the 99%” — a reference to the difference in wealth between the nation’s top one percent and the remaining population. Within a month, Occupy protests had spread to cities nationwide — including Portland’s own Main Street — and around the world. Though still in development, Occupy’s goals appear to include better jobs, more equal distribution of income, bank reform and a reduction of the influence that corporations wield in politics.

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