The City Club of Eugene Podcast

Coast Economics

The Oregon Coast is beautiful, but many of its residents suffer economically. The region's recovery from the 2008 recession has been very slow (below, left). In addition, factors such as lower life expectancy (below, right) play a role in the coast's ability to create and sustain a healthy economy.

City Club of Eugene developed this program to highlight the perspectives of coastal legislative, tribal and business leaders.

Sen. Dick Anderson, former mayor of Lincoln City, says, "On the one hand…rural Oregon, including the coast, has lost a smaller share of jobs than urban Oregon since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, prior to the onset of the pandemic, rural Oregon had barely regained the level of jobs prior to the Great Recession of 2007-09, continuing a troubling pattern of lagging economic growth. The effects of this geographic inequality go far beyond economics, affecting everything from life expectancy to access to health insurance.”

Bettina Hannigan, president and CEO of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, says, "It’s very difficult to get skilled labor here on the coast…the businesses here are struggling with skilled workforce. When we finally do get skilled workers…it’s a big burden to be able to keep their employees year-round.”

Doc Slyter is chief of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. From his perspective, "It’s a process of remembering what we need and to keep on that to make sure that doesn’t go down the list, keep those projects on the top of the list and bring them up every 4-5 months so we don’t forget about them.” 

Watch this program on City Club of Eugene's YouTube channel.

(This program was presented on Jan. 15, 2021)

Implicit Bias

What is implicit bias? How does it operate in the classroom and the courtroom? How are hiring decisions and discipline affected by implicit bias?

Erik Girvan, law professor at the University of Oregon Law School, provides a broad overview of implicit bias; Rhonda Nese, professor of education at the University of Oregon, discusses steps that teachers can take to counteract implicit bias; and Justice Adrienne Nelson, judge on the Oregon Supreme Court, discusses it from a justice perspective.

“Try to help us to make better decisions in the moment. This can include lots of things like give ourselves decision guides so we don’t just go with our guts. Because going with our gut can emphasize the impact of (our) assumptions.” (Dr. Girvan)

“When we see implicit bias come up in the treatment of students within schools, either through their interactions with their teachers or their peers, what we often see, especially in classroom behaviors and interactions is that implicit bias comes out as harsh and disproportionate discipline towards students of color, students with disabilities, students living in poverty and those struggling academically.” (Dr. Nese)

“There is a school-to-prison pipeline. And what that means is that depending on the circumstances by which you live – that doesn’t mean things that you’ve done – just by living in a certain zip code, your skin color, your gender/sexual orientation, your religious affiliation,  can affect how one navigates the world.” (Justice Nelson)

(This program was presented on Jan. 8, 2021)

Watch this program on the City Club of Eugene's YouTube channel!

Navigating and Studying Gender Transition

Bethany Grace Howe used to be Barton Grover Howe. In this episode of the City Club of Eugene podcast, she talks about her personal experience with transitioning as well as her research on it. Since this program, Bethany has received her doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.

"Every single thing that happens, you wonder if it's a point of contention, you wonder if it's something about you."

"Sometimes transitioning people just get reduced to an identity...it just can't be news anymore that I exist."

"I think people get tired of being tokenized."

"Being transgender in the 21st century...we're the boogeyman du jour."

"The worst days...are when I feel like my community is under siege."

(This program was presented on March 15, 2019)

Creativity: BEST After-School Programs

When COVID-19 closed schools, Eugene, Oregon School District 4J's BEST Program had to pivot its after-school programs to online-only. This episode explains the program and highlights five nonprofits who converted their usual hands-on projects to online learning. The pivot is an example of creativity developed from the desire to continue serving at-risk students.

The problem-solving highlights the cooperative relationships that continue BEST's goals of collective impact, use of evidence-based practices, and flexibility.

One mother wrote, "Dear Staff, thank you so much for being a highlight to our daughter's digital learning experience this spring...We so appreciate that you take the time to comment on her work. That means a lot to her because she worked so hard and it makes her feel good to know her teachers recognize that."

Speakers include Mindy Bell, School Garden Project; Molly Lajoie, 4J School District's BEST Program; Holly Kriz-Anderson, Eugene Family YMCA; Holly Spencer, Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras; Katy Vizdal, Eugene Symphony; and Ethan Wing, City of Eugene.

(This program was presented on July 10, 2020)

Watch this program on City Club of Eugene's YouTube channel.

 

Fire on the River

On Sept. 7, 2020, a wind-driven fire exploded into the Holiday Farm Fire along the McKenzie River. This program covers the death, destruction of towns and homes, and the environmental damage from the wildfire; the fire's aftermath; and the "inspired community response" in the moment and in the long-term recovery of the valley.

Three speakers address the impact of the fire on the ecosystem, geology, vegetation, river and residents of the area: research hydrologist Gordon Grant of the US Forest Service; Joe Moll of the McKenzie River Trust; and Jared Pruch, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Lane County.

This is part 1 of 2; listen to part 2.

(This program was presented on Nov. 13, 2020)

Watch this program on City Club of Eugene's YouTube channel.

Asset Poverty

Why can't people go from owing to owning? While income inequality has been studied, a newer area of research is asset poverty: income consumed by expenses. With fewer available funds, families have less help when things go wrong; they have less power over what occurs; they have fewer opportunities. Two out of three families are asset poor, according to Dr. David Rothwell, assistant professor of public health and human sciences at Oregon State University. More than 30% of Oregonians experience asset poverty, creating divisions between the "haves" and "have nots." In this program, Dr. Rothwell discusses the reality of losing the American dream through asset poverty as well as possible avenues to get out of asset poverty.

(This program was presented on Dec. 13, 2019)

Gun Violence: A public health crisis.

What if we approach gun violence as a public health issue, not a binary "gun rights vs. gun control"? Nearly 40,000 deaths each year are due to firearms, and 80,000 non-fatal firearm injuries occur yearly. Firearms are often used to commit suicide. Gun violence is predictable, which makes it preventable. Public health experts are pursuing harm reduction, using education, technology, policies and social norms to address the epidemic. We'll also hear types of legislation that could be helpful.

The speakers include Allison Anderman, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence; Paul Boxer, PhD, Rutgers Center on Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice; Kathleen F. Carlson, PhD, Oregon Health & Sciences University-Portland State University; and Jeffrey Sprague, PhD, University of Oregon Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior.

“In the current research involving firearm injury, I bring with me this part of my fabric, understanding the importance of guns in our history and our culture for our families and our communities, but also intertwined with the deep sorrow for the loss of life we all experienced in exchange for this benefit.”

"Police do not want to be social workers and social workers do not want to be police."

"The mass school shootings...appear to be on the uptick."

“Community violence intervention strategies look at this type of violence as an infectious disease that can be treated and its spread can be prevented.”

(This program was presented on June 12, 2020)

Watch this program on City Club of Eugene's YouTube channel.

Suicide as a Public Health Crisis

What causes suicides and suicide attempts? How can family and friends, and all of society, help people considering suicide? Lane County, Oregon, has a suicide rate 50% greater than the national average. One in 4 suicides is a veteran. The highest rate of ideation is among young LGBTQ+ residents. In this episode, you will learn more about local and national statistics and services, hear from a survivor of a suicide attempt, and learn how to respond when you think someone may be contemplating suicide.

Speakers include Roger Brubaker, MPH, Lane County Health and Human Services; Crystal Kekei Rowland, LCSW, MPH, a PeaceHealth crisis mental health worker; and Mike, a suicide survivor.

Note: Listeners may find some of the material in this episode to be disturbing or triggering. Call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. PreventionLane is another resource.

(This program was presented on Oct. 11, 2019)

Seismic Policy and Climate Change

Lucy Jones, Ph.D., is an earthquake expert. She spoke to City Club of Eugene about seismic safety and its connection to climate change. From her experience in California earthquakes to her policy work with then-Mayor Garcetti in Los Angeles, Dr. Jones is focused on preventing 'future piles of rubble." In this episode, she discusses building codes, seismic safety policy, mandatory retrofitting and disaster planning, and she explains the link between earthquakes and climate change. Dr. Jones spoke to the club during her 2019-20 residency at the Wayne More Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon.

(This episode was presented on Oct. 25, 2019)

Going to Prison to Learn

College students and incarcerated students learn together in the prison system, thanks to a University of Oregon prison education program called "Inside Out." It is the largest such program in the world.

Our speakers include Professor Shaul Cohen, an Associate Professor of Geography and Director of the UO Prison Education Program and the Carnegie Global Oregon Ethics Program. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, and a member of the National Alliance for Higher Education in Prisons. Our other speakers are Bianca Pak, a student in the UO Clark Honors College; and Trevor Walraven, who was imprisoned at the Oregon State Penitentiary and is the co-founder and Director of Public Education and Outreach at the Oregon Youth Justice Project, a program of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

"It was the most transformative experience...."

"...there are not prisoners and outside people; rather, there are students."

"One of the great things about Inside Out is the reciprocity."

Learn more about the National Inside-Out Center: https://www.insideoutcenter.org/

(This program was presented on Jan. 10, 2020)