Open Records with Deborah Gonzalez

Latest Episodes:

Students Take Over: Educational Inequality Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

Want to hear unique perspectives on education inequalities? On this episode some of my Gonzalez Fellows: Davis Bergsagel, Ashley Kalinda, Mennah Abdelwahab, and Marleena Tamminen, discuss the different layers of inequality in our education system. Davis is a UGA graduate who is interested in how our evolving technologies are changing the way we govern and communicate with constituents, specifically education in this show. Ashley is a third year UGA student majoring in International Affairs. She hopes to go to graduate school to study international development policy after spending some time in the Peace Corps. Mennah is a first year UGA student studying International Affairs and Journalism. She is excited to share her passion for politics with the Athens community. Marleena is a first year UGA student studying International Affairs and Economics. She is excited to use her knowledge on education and democracy in this podcast as well as in her future career.

How to Combat Negative Latino Stereotypes (Bilingual) Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

What are negative Latino stereotypes, where do we experience them and how do we combat them? That is the topic we will explore with Dr. Eric Morales-Franceschini. Dr. Morales-Franceschini received his PhD from UC Berkeley and is currently an Assistant Professor of English and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Georgia were he specializes in analyzing tropes, symbols, and narratives of the postcolonial Caribbean and Latinx literature.

This program is mainly in Spanish with an English Millennial Minute.

Record Restriction & Second Chances with Judge Ryan Hope Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Wondering if a conviction can be restricted? Which charges are eligible for restriction? What is the process? Join us as we host Judge Ryan Hope to learn the answers. Judge Ryan Hope is the Municipal Court Judge of Athens-Clarke County. In this position, he is responsible for all court proceedings and operations in the Municipal Court of Athens-Clarke County. The Municipal Court of Athens-Clarke County adjudicates traffic offenses, ordinance offenses and some misdemeanor cases. He received his JD in 2000 from the University of Georgia School of Law. After graduating from University of Georgia, Judge Hope worked as an Assistant Public Defender for the University of Georgia Legal Aid Clinic and then proceeded to serve as the Chief Assistant Solicitor of Athens-Clarke County. He has experience working as a public defender, prosecutor and judge in various accountability courts in Athens.

Athens Infrastructure & Transportation Mar 25, 2019

Show notes

Want to know more about the future of transportation and infrastructure in Athens? Join us as we discuss what’s in store for Athens with Kelly Girtz and Tim Denson. After serving as a County Commissioner in Athens-Clarke County for 12 years, current Mayor of Athens-Clarke County Girtz has prioritized a connected set of initiatives in Athens designed to provide a strong foundation for all Athenians, and to create a sustainable, resilient community that our children and grandchildren will be proud to call “home.” Tim Denson, current District 5 Commissioner for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and former President and Organization Coordinator of Athens for Everyone, organizes and advocates for initiatives his community think are important. He was integral in the campaigns for Sunday Bus Service, Living Wages for Athens-Clarke County Workers, an Athens Civil Rights Committee, and Athens Transit’s move toward hybrid-engine buses.

All Things Marijuana and Legislative in GA Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

On this episode we welcome Maxwell Ruppersburg, an Athens native and Executive Director for Reform Georgia, a nonprofit advocating for criminal justice reform at the state and local level in Georgia. He graduated from Emory University, worked at The Carter Center, and built a startup company before earning a Masters of Public Administration from Syracuse University in 2016. Since returning to the Atlanta area, he has been working in local government management and advocating for progress in Georgia. Ruppersburg believes criminal justice is a fundamentally local issue and that a research-driven approach to policy reform is a critical part of the solution. We discuss the current status of state and local bills, laws, and ordinances regarding medical cannabis cultivation and social equity, legalization of marijuana, and restorative justice.

Cybersecurity: Legislation and Our Voting Machines Mar 11, 2019

Show notes

Want to know how recent cybersecurity policy could affect the local community of Athens? Jonathan Wallace, Scott Jones, and Chuck DeLozier discuss the complexities of cybersecurity legislation and different ways it affects Georgia communities. Jonathan Wallace, former Representative for House District 119, uses his degree in Computer Science from the University of Georgia to write software and code for various endeavors. Currently, he is VP of Engineering at Softgiving, a financial technology startup, and he's recently been appointed to the Oconee County Board of Elections. Scott M. Jones serves as Acting Director of Electronic Frontiers Georgia, a local activist group focused on protecting and promoting civil rights and civil liberties online and in technology-mediated spaces. Mr. Jones was present for the ACLU v. Miller case and also coordinated opposition of the "State DMCA" bills. Additionally, he is a system administrator for a small startup in the insurance industry and has also been a developer during his nearly 30-year career in the technology field. Chuck DeLozier is the founder of Valiente, a lifestyle company that caters to people’s needs while also maintaining their privacy. One of his focuses is on engaging Georgian's around personal computer security and best practices. He’s also been a leading activist in the Atlanta area against the recent FCC Net Neutrality decision. What do these three men have in common? Their concern over recent Georgia legislation that authorizes the state to purchase unsafe and hackable election machines.

Sex, Women, and Legislation Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

Wondering what sexual harassment policy changes our legislature is making and how domestic violence affects Athens? Join us with Tangela Ferguson (Beard) from Project Safe and Representative Renitta Shannon to discuss recent sexual harassment procedural changes in the Georgia legislature and different ways domestic violence hurts a community. Tangela Ferguson is a Domestic Violence Advocate with Project Safe Inc currently in the Associate Director where her current focus is on increasing intimate partner violence trainings and presentations in Project Safe primary service areas of Clarke, Oconee, Madison, and Oglethorpe county, and helping to evaluate the work and services of Project Safe to adapt it to the needs of the local communities they serve. She also has a graduate degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of Phoenix. Renitta Shannon is currently the 84thdistrict House Representative for Georgia. While she sits on the committees of Government Affairs and Insurance, last January, Rep. Shannon launched the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council which is a coalition of state legislators dedicated to advancing reproductive freedom in state capitols and to push back against this administration's work to restrict access to birth control and women's reproductive services both through general legislation and court rulings that lay the groundwork to reverse Roe v. Wade. Rep Shannon is also one of the founders of HerTerm, an organization focusing on preparing female Democratic candidates to run and win office in Georgia.

LatinX Identity (Bilingual Program) Feb 25, 2019

Show notes

Our first bilingual episode (English & Spanish)

Curious about LatinX identity and what it means in Athens? Tune in and listen to Dr. Sharina Maillo-Pozo, Beto Mendoza, and Jimena Pacora discuss their LatinX identity, the shaping of LatinX identity in the U.S., and how their own LatinX identity reflects their experiences in Athens. Dr. Maillo-Pozo is an assistant professor specializing in Latinx and Caribbean literature and culture paying special attention to the cultural production of the Dominican Republic in the U.S. at the Romance Languages Department of the University of Georgia. Mr. Mendoza is the founder of Athens Immigrants Rights Coalition which he formed to assert justice for Athens area immigrants regardless of their legal status after HB 87 and SB 59 made life extremely difficult for hard-working immigrant communities and made it a criminal act to employ, transport, or give shelter to an undocumented person. Jimena is using her privilege to unapologetically fight for undocumented immigrant rights and the liberation of Black and Brown people after observing the injustices the U.S. while she lived here as an undocumented immigrant from Lima, Peru for the first half of her life.

STEM for All Children with Monique Sanders Feb 18, 2019

Show notes

Join us as we discuss STEM opportunities for all children with Monique Sanders. As the Program Director of Get STEMulated in Athens, she implements different learning techniques to enhance students' understanding of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) principles for k-12 boys and girls. She will be discussing how to engage students with engineering, biology, medicine, and physics through exciting experiments that helps their comprehension with these STEM skills. Why is STEM important for all students to learn now? What opportunities are there? Tune in and learn how your children can prepare and be part of the STEM career path.

Voting Rights & Machines with Indivisible 10 GA Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

This week we speak with Robert Covi and Vickie Krugman from Indivisible 10 GA. The group advocates for a paper-based voting system that would have voters submit their vote on a paper ballot which then gets scanned and recorded as a vote. The current GA legislature is considering which voting machines to buy and when will they be implemented. Listen in to learn about the pros and cons of hand marked ballots vs. machine marked ballots. Did you trust the voting machine you voted on in 2018?

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