Rational in Portland

Latest Episodes:

Derek Clevenger and Eric Post on how to unite Oregonians to tackle our myriad crises. Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

Derek Clevenger was the mayor of Aumsville, Oregon. He has an MBA with a focus in health care. Derek is retired from the military and has stayed engaged in civic education. He has worked to support open primaries in Oregon and done political consulting.

Eric Post is an entrepreneur and consultant who served in the US Marine Corps as a combat engineer.

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/11/editorial-end-this-strike-now.html?outputType=amp

Vadim Mozyrsky on Measure 110, Portland's new form of government, and the power of neighborhood associations Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

Vadim Mozyrsky is a federal administrative law judge who specializes in disability law. He is a former candidate for Portland City Council, and he helped initiate the lawsuit against the City of Portland on behalf of disabled individuals, arguing that blocking sidewalks violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. He served on the city's charter commission, but resigned from that commission and formed the Partnership for Common Sense Government, urging voters to reject the charter commissioners' recommendations. He is the President of Neighbors West-Northwest, which brings neighborhood associations together in Portland, and he is the Director of the Goose Hollow Neighborhood Association.

Charles Lehman, fellow at the Manhattan Institute: This is Your City on Fentanyl Dec 02, 2023

Show notes

Charles Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He studies and writes about policing and public safety in cities, including Portland. His work has appeared in the Atlantic and the Wall Street Journal, and he has discussed public safety policy before the House of Representatives and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Dr. Kevin Sabet: Reform/repeal Measure 110, which decriminalized drugs Nov 04, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Kevin Sabet is working with Oregon leaders to reform or repeal Measure 110, the Oregon ballot measure that decriminalized drugs throughout the state of Oregon. Kevin is a former three-time White House Office of National Drug Control Policy advisor, having been the only person appointed to that office by both a Republican (GW Bush) and Democrat (Obama and Clinton). With former House member Patrick Kennedy (D), Dr. Sabet co-founded the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions. The US launch took place at the Clinton Foundation's Clinton Global Initiative, along with officials from the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations.

TV News Reporter Jenny Young Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Jenny Young was a local TV news reporter for KOIN TV from 2019-2023.

In 2020, Jenny was covering a BLM rally and tweeted that there was an "openly anti-Zionist" speaker praising BDS, a pro-Palestinian movement. Jenny says that she received hateful tweets in response, and that she was admonished and "written up" by KOIN. On October 9, 2023, Jenny tweeted: "I no longer work for KOIN. I’m thankful that today I can publicly say, without fear of losing my job, that I stand with Israel."

In this episode, Jenny talks about Judaism; why she is moving away from Portland and out of the mainstream news business; and more.

Derek Clevenger: Why we need open primaries Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Derek Clevenger was the mayor of Aumsville, Oregon. He became mayor after attending a city council meeting and asking questions that council refused to answer about a water and sewer fee that were not widely disclosed to citizens. As the chief petitioner, he leading the recall of half of the City Council of Aumsville and was later elected mayor, unseating the incumbent. He joined the Oregon National Guard, went on active duty, and earned his BA and his MBA while in Afghanistan. He is a trained medic and worked for the Department of State doing defense contracting in Northern Africa. Derek ran for Oregon House District 17 as an unaffiliated candidate. Because he ran as an unaffiliated candidate, he had to collect signatures to get his name on the ballot. If he had run as a Democrat or Republican, he simply would have paid a fee. Former Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan refused to certify his signatures, so Derek did not appear on the ballot. He since became interested in open primaries.

Don Courtney Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Donel Courtney was a Portland lawyer representing his Lents neighborhood against the city. Don graduated from Williams College and UCLA School of Law. He has since relocated to India, finding Portland to be uninhabitable.

Andrea Suarez from We Heart Seattle and Patrick Burnite from Bybee Lakes Hope Center Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Patrick Burnite was a homeless drug addict on the streets of Seattle. With the help of Andrea Suarez of We Heart Seattle, Patrick is housed and working as a resource navigator for Bybee Lakes Hope Center in Portland. Andrea Suarez is the founder and Executive Director of We Heart Seattle, which has transitioned nearly 200 people from the streets into shelters and housing. We Heart Seattle has also removed nearly a million pounds of trash from parks and public spaces.