Policy for the People

Oregon Center for Public Policy
  • 4.9 (11)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
Policy for the People

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).

  1. OCT 17

    Measure 116 would change who sets salaries for state elected officials

    How Oregon sets the salary of state legislators and other elected officials could soon change. If enacted by voters, Measure 116 on the November ballot would take away from the Oregon legislature the responsibility for deciding how much lawmakers, the Governor, and other state elected officials get paid, and give that task to an independent salary commission. In this episode of Policy for the People, we speak with two supporters of Measure 116. Isabela Villarreal is Policy and Comm...

    26 min

  2. OCT 10

    No taxes on tips is a bad idea. And where does tipping come from anyway?

    Echoing statements from both presidential candidates, one Oregon State Senator recently put forward the idea of exempting tips from Oregon income taxes. But is exempting tips from taxes a good idea? In this episode of Policy for the People, we explore the idea of no taxes on tips. Daniel Hauser, Deputy Director of the Oregon Center for Public Policy, explains that exempting tips from taxes would do little to improve the economic security of struggling workers, while making our tax syste...

    29 min

  3. SEP 12

    What Measure 118 gets right and what it doesn't

    Measure 118 will be one of the most closely watched measures on the November ballot. Known as “The Oregon Rebate,” the measure would make it so that each year, every resident of Oregon gets a rebate from the state. To pay for these rebates, the measure would institute one of the biggest changes to Oregon’s tax system in decades.In this episode of Policy for the People, we take a deep dive into Measure 118. Daniel Hauser, OCPP's Deputy Director, discusses what Measure 118 gets right, and...

    29 min

  4. AUG 8

    Rewind: Tax extreme wealth to save our democracy

    Last month saw yet another record in terms of the fortunes held by the nation's superrich. In July 2024, the roughly 800 billionaires in the U.S. were collectively worth about $6 trillion, the highest amount ever. In light of this, it seemed like a good time to replay a prior episode of Policy for the People examining the need to tax extreme wealth. In August of last year, Bob Lord of Patriotic Millionaires joined us to discuss why taxing the rich is essential in order to shrink inequality an...

    29 min

  5. JUL 11

    Parts of the massive Trump tax cuts are expiring, providing an opportunity to change course

    Next year, 2025, is setting up to be a pivotal year when it comes to how our nation raises the money needed to pay for public services — things like health, housing, the nation’s safety net, and more.The reason for this dates back to 2017. That year, Congress enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, better known as the Trump tax cuts. This tax package contained massive changes to our tax system that mostly amounted to huge tax cuts for the rich and corporations. For procedural reasons, as well as t...

    28 min

  6. JUN 13

    Direct File is a big step toward simple and free tax filing

    Recently, the IRS announced that its Direct File program is expanding. This is a big deal.Filing a tax return is complicated. It’s costly. This is a bad situation for everyone, especially families struggling to get by on low wages. The complexity and cost of filing taxes deters many low-income workers from claiming the tax credits for which they are eligible, undermining some of the nation’s core anti-poverty strategies.But with Direct File, a new system is beginning to take shape, one that w...

    28 min

  7. MAY 9

    Immigrants play a big role in Oregon’s economy + labor activity surges

    The month of May began with the celebration of International Workers’ Day. May Day, as it’s often called, dates back to the late 19th Century, when labor movements that counted on heavy participation by immigrant workers agitated for better working conditions. Today in the U.S., May Day celebrates both the labor movement and the immigrant community.In that spirit, this episode of Policy for the People focuses on both the labor movement and immigrants. Anthony Capote of the Immigration Researc...

    29 min

  8. APR 11

    Tax Day focus: record-breaking kicker + the need for a well-funded IRS

    With tax season coming to an end, it’s a good moment to discuss the vital role that our tax system plays in our lives. At its best, the tax system makes the economy work better for everyone. At its worst, it deepens existing economic injustices.In this episode, we focus on two aspects of the tax system. First, we discuss Oregon’s record-breaking kicker, which is sending massive tax rebates to the rich, while giving little or nothing to those struggling the most. OCPP’s Daniel Hauser exp...

    29 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

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).

Information

  • Creator
    Oregon Center for Public Policy
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Policy for the People
  • Show Website
    Policy for the People

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