Government & Politics

Schiff, Fields, Andres.

Peterson, Fields, Sandefur.

Peterson, Fields, Sandefur.

More than two years have passed since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami caused three Fukushima nuclear power plants to melt-down. Charles Johnson, Director of the Oregon/Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility Task Force on Nuclear Power, talks about that on-going crisis and connections between Fukushima and the Columbia (Nuclear) Generating Station (CGS) in Washington State. He calls for closure of CGS.

Guests Steve Bintliff and Gary Jelinek talk talk with host David Delk about their effects to prevent the opening of a new Wal-Mart in their community just south of Portland. Wal-Mart has been shielded from most of the usual pubic input hearings and review processes by taking over development plans originally approved for different retail operation. Residents are therefore facing off against a local government united with Wal-Mart against the interests of the regions citizens.

Guest Michael Meo of the Portland Green Party describes the plans by the City of Portland to cover the open air water reservoir system and how, because he expressed and used his constitutionally acknowledged free speech right to speak out against the plan, he was arrested and placed in solitary confinement in a 60 degree temperature cell. He further talks about how one develops an effective campaign of civil disobedience.

We give flowers, diamonds and gold as symbols of our love without thought as to how those symbols are mined or grown or even how they became symbols. Dr. Martin Donohoe discusses how these symbols have taken on their meaning and the consequences of giving these symbols. He suggests more humane expressions of our love, which do not encourage war and terrorism and consumerism.

Guest Dan Meek, a public interest attorney in Portland, continues his discussion of recent US Supreme Court decisions which have enhanced corporate power to the determent of "We, the People." Decisions discussed included Clapper v. Amnesty International, AT&T v Concepcion, American Express Co. v Italian Colors Restaurant and Marx v. General Revenue Co. Then we discuss what Congress could do to end such decisions but has not chosen to do.

Portland public interest attorney, Dan Meek, reviews recent US Supreme Court decisions which have further empowered corporate power at the expense of “We, the people.” Included are comments on Citizens United v FEC, Gabelli v S.E.C., Mutual Pharmaceutical Co. v Bartlett, Decker v NW Environmental Defense Center, Shelby County (Alabama) v Holder and more. Part 1 of 2.