Populist Dialogues

Guest Nathan Hunt, a political science student at Portland State University and member of Students for Educations Debt Reform, the mushrooming problem of student debt and recommends a solution, "Pay It Forward." The increasing problem of student debt results from decreasing state support for higher education, a transfer of costs from the state to the student via increasing tuition and fees and a move from education grants to loans. "Pay It Forward" would create a state fund to pay tuition and fees while requiring repayment by students.

Ashley Sanders, Exec Committee member of Move to Amend, notes that corporate controlled political system and economy has been centuries in the making, that it is a human creation and tells the story of the historic development of corporate power starting 500 years ago. She describes the role of kings, imperialism, the formation of the East India Company by the King of England, members of the British Parliament and the wealthy folks of England who wanted to make more money in international trade.

Guest Dan Meek reviews the largely failed efforts of Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley to reform the US Senate filibuster rules. He also review how the filibuster rules have changed over the past 75 years. Then Dan talks about the failure of congress to make legal changes to overturn Citizens United or at least some of the effects. He notes that Oregon laws are "Citizens United on Steroids" and explains the reasons for that description and further notes that "Oregon is more loophole than law."

Guest Jaye Cee Whitehead, Asst. Sociology Professor (Pacific University), discusses her views of gay marriage, looking at how the gay movement has come to embrace gay marriage as the signature issue for GLBTQ liberation. The 70s gay liberation movement rejected marriage but changed to embrace it in the 21st century. How and why did this change occur? That is what we discuss.