The City Club of Eugene Podcast

Gifts to the City 2021

If you were asked to give a gift to Eugene, what would it be? In a City Club of Eugene tradition, 10 people offer their presents.

Gift givers include Dr. Silky J. Booker, Gabe Casteel, Karin Clarke, Aisha Elliott, Holly Go Slugly (Debbie Williamson-Smith), Roger Jensen, Ryan Moore, Lyllye Reynolds-Parker, Sandra Shotridge and Beth Stein. Dan Bryant is the moderator.

Watch this episode on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This episode was broadcast on December 17, 2021)

Measure 11: Repeal, Revise or Retain?

Oregon's voters chose to add minimum mandatory sentences for certain crimes. Measure 11 has been in effective for nearly 30 years. Does it deter crime? Does it give too much authority to prosecutors, not judges? Over the years, Measure 11 has been modified by the legislature. Should it be amended again or should it be narrowed to apply only to those found guilty of murder?

City Club of Eugene asked Sen. Floyd Prozanski and Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow to weigh in.

Read the Criminal Justice Commission Report mentioned in this episode. Watch this episode, including Q&A, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This program was broadcast on Dec. 10, 2021)

 

Understanding the Local Labor Shortage

Recovery from the pandemic-induced recession has been hampered by the difficulty in finding workers. The speakers in this City Club of Eugene podcast episode look at the labor shortage from different perspectives. Henry Fields is the workforce analyst/economist for Lane and Douglas counties for the Oregon Employment Department. Kristina Payne is executive director of Lane Workforce Partnership. Leonard Stoehr is a labor rep for Teamsters Local 206.

Read the Oregon ALICE Report mentioned in this episode. Watch this episode, including Q&A, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This program was broadcast on December 3, 2021)

Hate Crimes: Facts and Fixes

Days before this program, a young man was arrested in Lane County for an alleged hate crime against a gay man. Eugene has a robust reporting system, which means residents can learn more about the prevalence about this crime than they might if they lived in other areas. But what is the origin of hate crimes? How do we make them rare?

We'll hear from Fabio Andrade, civil rights and equity analyst for the City of Eugene; Ryan Dwyer, supervisory special agent for the FBI's San Francisco and Portland field offices; and Lindsay Schubiner, director of the Western States Center's Momentum program.

Watch this episode, including slides and Q&A, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This program was broadcast on Nov. 19, 2021)

Finding Fairness in Wages

Labor is either a cost to be minimized or a place to invest, according to one of the speakers in this episode, "Finding Fairness in Wages." What's a fair wage? Why do we pay child care workers a wage that doesn't seem to reflect the value of their important work?

Learn more from these speakers: Henry Fields, Workforce Analyst and Economist for the Oregon Employment Department in Lane and Douglas Counties; Sarah Kalloch, Executive Director of The Good Jobs Institute; and Megan Pratt, Coordinator of the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership.

Watch this episode on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This program was broadcast on Nov. 12, 2021)

The State of Our Homelessness Crisis

If 70% of a crisis is unsolved, the crisis continues. That's where the homeless population of Eugene and Lane County find themselves. The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce studied the issue recently and shares its findings and recommendations with City Club of Eugene.

Speakers include Eugene City Councilor Randy Groves; Brittany Quick-Warner, president and CEO of the chamber; and Heather Sielicki, co-lead for Everyone Village.

Watch this episode, including speakers' slides, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This episode was broadcast on Nov. 5, 20201)

TrackTown Meets the World Athletics Championships/Oregon22

The World Athletics Championships come to Eugene in 2022, and the numbers are staggering: 2,000 athletes, 6,500 hours of TV coverage, 1 billion people watching in 200 countries, and $52 million in direct spending. Plus, this Oregon22 event occurs in the U.S. for the first time. In this episode of the City Club of Eugene podcast, speakers talk about organizing the event, the impact on the community, and the way that "Oregon22" will present Eugene to the world.

Speakers include Jessica Massey, director of communications for Oregon22; Sarah Massey, CEO, World Athletics Championships/Oregon22; Stephanie Scafa, liaison, City of Eugene; Sasha Spencer, athlete and teams experience manager, World Athletics Championship/Oregon22; and Kari Westlund, president and CEO, Travel Lane County.

Watch this episode, including questions and answers, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This episode was broadcast on Oct. 29, 2021)

Responding to Fires in Western Oregon

What has caused the devastating fires in Western Oregon, and what can be done to prevent them in the future? The speakers in this City Club of Eugene podcast episode have ideas. Listen to Amanda Astor, policy manager for Oregon Associated Loggers; and Dr. John Bailey, professor of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management at Oregon State University.

Watch this episode, including questions and answers and slides, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This episode was broadcast on Oct. 22, 2021)

State of Immigrants: A New Look at the Immigrant Experience in Oregon

In this City Club of Eugene podcast episode, four authors of a study about immigrants in Oregon discuss their findings from a 2021 update to the original 2008 report. What has changed, what hasn't, and why?

Speakers include Dr. Robert Bussel, director of the University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center; Jose W. Melendez, assistant professor of planning for engaging diverse communities, University of Oregon School of Planning, Public Policy and Management; Lisha Shrestha, executive director of Portland's Division Midway Alliance; and Daniel Tichenor, Philip H. Knight Chair of Social Science and director of the Wayne Morse Center's Program for Democratic Governance.

Watch this episode, including questions and answers, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels.

(This program was recorded on Oct. 15, 2021)

 

Modoc People: The Aftermath of Great Loss

After a campaign of extermination of indigenous people who occupied land that settlers and miners wanted, a group of Modoc people in northern California fought back. The Modoc were led by Captain Jack. The war became the most expensive the U.S. fought with Native Americans, and the Modoc people lost.

City Club of Eugene examines the war and its aftermath, and looks at a coming documentary about it. Speakers include Dr. Donald Dexter, a Eugene dentist and enrolled Modoc who is leading the documentary effort; and Christelle Auzus, the cinematographer for the documentary.

Watch this episode, including questions and answers, on City Club of Eugene’s YouTube or Facebook channels, read a Eugene Weekly article or Auzus's post, or contribute to a fundraiser for the documentary.

(This program was produced on Oct. 8, 2021)