Progress Portland Tim Halbur

"I would like to see a rent freeze for at least the next two years. That's a very controversial statement, unfortunately. That might get me some scrutiny from some groups, but we can't catch up right now."
- 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.

You can’t really understand a problem until you start to interact with it…In complex environments, your analysis will never be complete until you start doing something It’s better to be 80% right at the right time than 100% right too late.”
- 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!

Allison Gilliland joins Tim for a conversation over the internets from Ireland, where she is currently a City Councilor. Allison was a speaker at a recent event hosted by North Star Civic Foundation to talk about Ireland's switchover to ranked-choice voting and their long history of district representation (they have SIXTY-THREE City Councilors!) One correction, Gilliland misstates that we have 13 districts when the new system has 4 districts and 12 city councilors. 

Hey everyone, we're back without a guest this week to talk about what we're seeing so far this election, what traits we think make good candidates, and efforts underway to save Portland Street Response. Check out our website for more information, and tell your friends about the podcast! 

"I've had a lot of conversations since I started thinking about running, and part of the joy of being a part-time bus driver is that I full up all my other time with meetings, and talking to people in the community...I think it's really all about the authenticity about what I learned over the years at Reverend Nat's: do things I want to do, make ciders I want to make, talk about business, talk about Portland in the way I want to do it." - Rev. Nat 
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.

"When we end somebody's homelessness, we don't end their poverty. So we really need to continue to look at ways to keep people inside once they are there, and increase their economic income whether they are on a permanent subsidy like Social Security or disability income. How do we insure that they are in a subsidized place so that they can stay for the long term?"  - Shannon Singleton
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.