And the Oregon Working Families Party is holding a rally in front of city hall 1-4pm. More details here https://www.mobilize.us/oregonworkingfamiliesparty/event/946292/

Content Warning: We discuss physical, emotional, sexual, and animal abuse in this episode. It’s a difficult conversation and will be inappropriate for younger people and challenging for some others.

Since 1977, Raphael House of Portland has helped domestic violence survivors and their families find safety, hope, and independence. We believe that everyone deserves to live a life free from violence. Their 24/7 hotline is at (503) 222-6222

And the web site is at: https://raphaelhouse.com/ but please don’t visit if your phone/computer is possibly monitored.

Kat and Kip talk to Emmy about her background and lifelong advocacy for abuse survivors and how she became ED of Raphael House of Portland. We talk frankly about the challenges people have getting safe from abusive partners and how it can take an average of 7 attempts to do so.

We also discuss how there’s always hope and how we all can help survivors directly and how we need to change the culture of our society to stop the serial endemic issues of domestic violence and abuse.

There might also be a mention of butts. Our apologies.

Buy a STFU Kip or a STFU Kat mug and let us know who you’d like to STFU more! https://www.progressportland.org/shameless-merch-shop/

Takeaways

• Inclusivity in halftime shows
• Impact of budget decisions on housing and homelessness
• The need for systemic change and multi-angle advocacy
• Stickbugs

North Portlanders, this is for you! District 2 stretches from St. Johns to 82nd in the north and down to Highway 84 in the south. There are 22 candidates running in the district, and we've selected our top 3 and discuss a few you might also consider. 

We also endorse Shannon Singleton for Multnomah County district 2, which encompasses City District 2 and then some.

Listen in, and vote Lisa Freeman in District 4!

- Lisa Freeman

Lisa Freeman has a very particular set of skills, and she's not afraid to use them (sorry, couldn't help myself). She's an expert at managing political transitions, a skill she has practiced in countries like Afghanistan and Nigeria. We go deep into her experience and how it applies to our own transition here at home. She's a fascinating candidate, don't miss this episode!

Chad Lykins is big into chess - he's the Founder of Rose City Chess, President of Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation, and Oregon’s Scholastic Coordinator and State Delegate to the United States Chess Federation. He also has a PhD in Leadership and Policy Studies from Vanderbilt University, so he knows a thing or two about how city government works. In this episode, Chad talks about being the "evidence-based candidate" and how arts and culture pay back big on small investments. 

Did you know there's a Multnomah County election coming up in May? You might know that D.A. Mike Schmidt is up for re-election, but the entire slate of County Commissioner slots are also up for grabs. Shannon Singleton has an incredible background as a social worker, leader of Oregon’s Racial Justice Council, Executive Director of the SAFE Shelter, and much, much more experience that would make her a stellar representative of progressive values in the County. Listen in, we get into the weeds. 

Jesse Cornett has a fascinating career path, from his early days as a member of the National Guard and a county sheriff to being Bernie Sanders' "body man" during his run for President. He's also been an HR manager, a veterans' caseworker, and a yoga teacher, as well as a variety of roles in politics. In this freewheeling conversation, Jesse talks about Portland's lost history as a climate leader, keeping our music culture flourishing, and the long, slow process of truly reforming the police. 

Through his experience working with PBOT and his years of living there with his family, Timur has an intimate knowledge of the streets of the Eastside. He would clearly be a passionate advocate for his community. Our conversation ranged from supporting small business owners to kids walking in ditches, Timur's year living in Turkey and defending immigrants along the Texas border.

- Mike Schmidt

We are so excited to bring you this interview with Portland's own progressive district attorney Mike Schmidt. Mike is not alone in his data-driven policies that result in real change that is about reform instead of revenge - he's one of a handful of D.A.s like George Gascon in Los Angeles and Jason Williams in New Orleans. And now he's up for reelection in May 2024, and he's facing a loud and angry opposition that doesn't understand his approach. In our interview, we discuss the awful billboards around town, the obvious but effective solution for catalytic converter theft, and Mike's rough few years as our new D.A. 

In June of this year, a man tragically died in police custody. Kip talks about the case, what we know and what is under investigation. 

Samantha Silverman joins Kip and Tim as a guest host (thanks Sam for adding your insight!). 

And remember, don't rank Rene!

- Tiffany Koyama Lane, D3 candidate

Tiffany Koyama Lane joins us. Back when she was campaigning for the Preschool for All campaign, she picked up the nickname Teacher Tiffany. She continues to teach 3rd grade, and is ready to bring her skills in collaborating and relationship-building to City Council. Kip and Tim talk to her about her ally Angelita Morillo, making streets safer, and listening to experts rather than thinking you know everything.

“If I had to choose one thing to pressure people to put resources in, it’s the folks that have the most severe physical and mental disabilities. Because that bogs down our agency. When someone’s having a mental health crisis, how many of our staff members does it take to get that person back down to baseline and keep everybody safe when we could have been working with 5 people inside that were ready to work towards other goals. I think that’s the challenge, because the police don’t have the capacity to deal with it, the jails are full, the hospitals are full. So there’s no where to send these people, and those are the folks that the neighbors are the most upset about.” - Liz Starke, Development Director of Rose Haven

Kat Mahoney practices law specializing in Family, Domestic Violence and Animal Law. You can engage with here here: https://kmahoneylaw.com/

Angelita Morillo has been appealing to the younger voters for the last couple of years with her TikTok videos exposing the inner workings of City Hall. Now she's running for City Council to represent the Southeast. Kip and Tim talk to Angelita about what she learned working under Joanne Hardesty, how the new City Council will work, and her love of infrastructure investment. 

We talk about what makes the East Side different, building consensus when things are contentious, and, of course, housing and houselessness. 

Sameer Kanal, a relative newcomer to the City Council District 2 scrum, gets wonky with us in this episode (note for transparency purposes that Kip and Sameer work together on PCCEP). We talk about what he learned from his years working with the Model United Nations, how to shore up Portland Street Response, and improving data accessibility across city government.

Also please join us this Monday, 10/28 at Migration Brewing on NE Glisan at 6pm for a fundraiser and meet n' greet with County District 2 candidate extraordinaire Shannon Singleton! Help us keep Sam Adams out of office!

"One of the things that I've learned in my time in both the non-profit world and government service for low income folks: The number one intervention for poverty is cash. Give people money, they will spend it wisely. I know it is very unpopular to think of just handing someone money and letting them do what they think is the right thing to do with it, but it is effective. And living wage is one way (to do that.)" - Chris Flanary

Rev. Nat West, fresh off of closing his cider business and becoming a TriMet bus driver, talks about his campaign for City Council. West has a long history in the city, and his website has an impressively detailed and nuanced look at how he thinks the city should move forward. Kip and Tim and Nat discuss the 2020 protests and the police response, how the city neglects small business, and why he's decided to throw his hat in the ring.

- Jennifer Park

We’re back with Tim and Kip, bringing you all the candidates worth voting for in the November 2024 City Council election. Today we have Jennifer Park, running in District 2 (North Portland). Jennifer has tons of on-the-ground experience working in housing policy and is currently Programs Director for The Shadow Project, working to make schools more attentive to kids with learning or attention challenges. Our chat with Jennifer goes deep on housing policy and city politics.

Housing, homelessness and hunger are on everyone's mind here in Portland. Jon Seibert, Director of Programs at Blanchet House in Old Town Portland, says that one of the best ways they're tackling the issue is communication and cooperation between the different non-profits taking on different aspects of the problem. Kip and Tim talk to Jon about the importance of data and also the pitfalls inherent in those numbers, and provide advice for today's City Council and our batch of candidates for 2024.

It's looking like District 4 is where things get serious in the upcoming election. The more conservative candidates (and the big money) are focused on D4 because it encompasses downtown. Mitch Green is one of a handful of progressive candidates, and many of the other candidates told us we had to talk to him. He has a unique perspective as an economist and energy policy specialist, and we go deep into the weeds in this episode. 

- Jeremy Beausoleil Smith

At 27, Jeremy Beausoleil Smith is one of the youngest candidates running for City Council, and is the youngest running in District 4. Like his fellow Gen Zers, climate change is high on his priority list. Tim talks with Jeremy about his recent visit to the Critical Energy Infrastructure hub in NW Portland, a major contributor to local pollution and a major risk in an earthquake. Jeremy talks about discovering democratic socialism after his conservative upbringing, his struggle with mental health, and rights for renters.

Robin Ye was Chief of Staff for Oregon State Representative Khanh Pham – the first Vietnamese American elected to state government. In this conversation, Tim talks to Robin about his passion for improving Portland’s air quality, the “epidemic of traffic violence” on the East Side, and his priorities for the new City Council.

Christopher Olson came to our studio wearing his trademark "Practice Radical Empathy" sweatshirt. Olson is newish to Portland, but he sees that as an asset. Our conversation ranged from the secret City Hall bunker, embracing data, and thinking long term on police reform. Find out more at www.olsonforpdx.com. 

We also put out the call to Mike Schmidt to come on the podcast...

Also, please join Kip and Tim TONIGHT, Monday 10/28, at 6pm at Migration Brewing on NE Glisan for a meet n' greet/fundraiser for Shannon Singleton! We need to help Shannon defeat Sam Adams, who has poured money into winning the Multnomah County Commissioner spot for District 2. Every dollar counts.

Candace Avalos has a long history of engagement in Portland politics as a community advocate and grassroots organizer. She's a self-described "Blacktina", the daughter of Black Americans from southern Virginia and Guatemalan immigrants who immigrated in the 1970s. She's currently Executive Director at Verde, a nonprofit dedicated to building environmental wealth through social enterprise. Kip and Tim talk to her about her work at Verde, her experience working for police accountability, her mission to visit every one of Portland's 200+ parks, and so much more.