This is a SERIES program produced through the facilities of Metro East Community Media and then turned in for replay at Portland Community Media
Metro east Schedules
Bark is a grassroots organization based in Northwest Oregon that works to preserve the forests, waters and wildlife of Mt. Hood National Forest and surrounding regions. Bark monitors logging, challenges destructive timber sales in the area and provides education and advocacy programs to bring attention to the vanishing legacy of our forests and wildlands.
This February 2008 Bark for Mt. Hood program was the December 2007 Bark Field Trip featuring explorations of the Forest Service road 4610 area in the Clackamas and Roaring River watersheds.
The Program features an separate interview with Deb Wechselblatt, Bark's Mt. Hood Travel Plan Coordinator and a narration by Bark volunteer Donald Fontenot, featuring his photographs of the area.
Channel 11:
Saturday 4/19/2008, 5:00 PM.
Channel 22:
Saturday 4/26/2008, 8:00 PM, and Thursday 4/17/2008, 11:59 PM.
Channel 23:
Monday 4/14/2008, 5:30 PM,and Wednesday 4/23/2008, 7:00 PM
A few of the most recent Bark for Mt. Hood programs are now available on Google.
Googling for Bark
and also available on the Bark Blip.tv Channel
INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS
Security and Prosperity Partnership
As the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) turns fifteen, more-and-more people are recongizing its faults and demanding a change. Unfortunately, the NAFTA agenda continues to move forward in unanticipated ways. Most Americans, including many dedicated trade activists, have yet to take a critical look at the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which is often referred in neighboring countries as "NAFTA-plus."
In this panel discussion, a team of experts from Mexico, Canada and the United States will dissect the economic and security arrangements being forged behind closed doors under the auspices of the SPP. These back room deals cover everything from water privatization to energy policy; homeland security to public health; transportation to immigration -- all without any real consultation with Congressional branches or the general public. This is a topic that deserves our close attention.
Speakers for the event:
Hector Sánchez is the Policy Education Coordinator for Global Exchange's Mexico Program. He represents the program in Washington, D.C., where he coordinates efforts to inform and organize legislators and key organizations in support of new priorities on trade and immigration. Hector has over 10 years of policy, research and community organizing experience in the education, government, and non-profit sectors. His commentaries on Mexican politics were frequently published in Mexico before he moved to Washington six years ago. During the five years prior to joining Global Exchange in the summer of 2007, Hector worked at Education Trust where he developed and led an initiative to improve public education for this country's immigrant and Latino community. He holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in Political Science from the University of Texas.
A last minute change in speaker venue was John Grabler, an independent journalist who has spend much time with the people of Mexico affected by Trade Policies of the U.S.
Carleen Pickard is a Regional Organizer for the Council of Canadians, which is Canada's largest citizens' organization with members and chapters across the country. Carleen works with communities to protect Canadian independence by promoting progressive policies on fair trade, clean water, safe food, public health care, and other issues of social and economic concern to Canadians. In August of 2007, the third Summit on the Security and Prosperity Partnership took place in Montebello, Quebec, and the Council of Canadians called a National Day of Action. Carleen worked with activists in BC to oppose the Summit. She previously worked with Global Exchange on human rights and economic rights issues in Mexico and Latin America.
This program is one hour and fifteen minutes in length.
Channel 22:
Friday, 6/20/2008, 10:00 AM, and Wednesday, 6/25/2008, 9:00 PM and Tuesday, 7/1/2008, 4:00 PM
Channel 23:
Monday 7/7/2008, 5:00 PM, and Thursday 7/10/2008, 7:00 PM
Standing Up To the Madness
David Goodman and his sister, Amy appeared at the Baghdad theater recently to talk about their new book, "Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times."
This is a 26 minute video of David, who first speaks about why he and his sister co-authored the book and then reads several passages from the book.
Portland Community Media schedules:
Channel 22:
Monday 5/19/2008, 9:00 PM, and Friday 5/23/2008, 7:30 PM
Channel 23:
Wednesday 5/21/2008, 6:00 PM and Monday 5/26/2008, 8:00 PM
Metro East Community Media
Channel 11:
Friday, May 23 at 10:30 pm.
Channel 21:
Saturday, May 24 at 8:00 pm and Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 pm.
To view this on Google.com
For MP3 Audio
Blue Covenant
A talk given by Maude Barlow, head of the organization the Council of Canadians at the First Unitarian Church in Portland Oregon in April of 2008.
She speaks for about 30 minutes from her new Book, "Blue Covenant,The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water," and in the remainder of the 54 minute program answers questions from the audience.
Portland Community Media:
Channel 22:
Wednesday 5/21/2008, 10:00 PM and Wednesday 5/28/2008, 7:00 PM
Channel 23:
Sunday 5/25/2008, 5:00 PM and Saturday 5/31/2008, 9:00 PM.
Metro East Community Media:
Channel 11:
Friday, June 13 at 10 pm.
Channel 21:
Wednesday, June 4 at 9:30 pm and Thursday, June 12 at 9 pm and Thursday, June 19 at 9:30 pm.
For MP3 Audio
Defending Basic Rights
In May on 2007 the Oregon State Legislature passed a domestic partnership law for same sex couples, scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2008. Opponents immediately set about collecting the signatures necessary to put this law to a vote of the people.
When this referendum failed to gather the necessary signatures, the Alliance Defense Fund of Scottsdale, Arizona brought suit before a Federal Judge, complaining that state and county elections officials wrongly disqualified their signatures on these petitions seeking to force a statewide election on the law November 4.
Judge Michael Mosman first ordered a 32 day stay on the law and heard the case on February 2, 2008, ruling that the State could begin to register same sex couples who choose to enter into domestic partnership as early as the following Monday.
Prior to the court hearing, On January 30, over 2000 people rallied in Portland Oregon at Terry Schrunk Plaza to voice their outrage at the machinations of this out of state organization and pledge their support to defend these basic rights for all Oregon citizens.
Speakers from the Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Community spoke eloquently and forcefully that the right to choose ones partner is a basic human right and that same sex couples are no different from any other family in this need. All Oregon families should have access to both the rights and the responsibilities that legal recognition of a relationship brings. Legal recognition for families keeps children safe in the event of a crisis, brings financial and emotional security, and strengthens our total community as a whole.
The event was enthusiastically moderated by Becky Flynn, Eugene Regional Director of Basic Rights Oregon and Kendall Clawson, Executive Director of Portland Q Center.
Portland Community Media schedules for this 43 minute video of the event, including contact information for the various groups involved and ways in which viewers may assist in this struggle.
Media:
Channel 11:
Sunday 2/24/2008 at 8:01 PM.
Channel 23:
Tuesday, 2/26/2008 at 7:00 PM and Wednesday, 3/5/2008 at 8:00 PM.
Defending Basic Human Rights, on Google.com
First to speak was Erin Sexton Saylor, appearing on stage with her wife Melissa and their two year old daughter Vivian. She stated that when the domestic partnership law passed, “we were really excited because it was one less thing we had to worry about. And now we're back in a place of not knowing, not knowing that when this little girl is born if she going to have two parents or just one, not knowing she going to have to wait for a second parent adoption to come th rough to know that our family is safe.”
“Our family and hundreds of other committed couples in Oregon really deserve to take care of each other. That is what domestic partnerships is all about.”
Next to the microphone were Keith and Antoinette Edwards, proud parents of a gay son. Keith exclaimed how everyone present had many important things that they “could be doing and that there was nothing better that they could be doing than make sure everyone has their basic rights. This is an issue that is close to home for us because we have a son who is gay; not gay by choice but he was born that way. We love him and feel that he should have the same rights as anyone else in this country.”
Antoinette follows her husband and gets right to the point: “my gay son is a gift from God! She finishes with a quote from a Rabbi: “Simply put, there is no one religious view on these issues. From my point of view, each day that our states laws permits discrimination against lesbians and gays, it is an afront to God. It is time to stop standing in the way of the holiness of equality and equity.”
Union solidarity was represented in the person of Barbara Byrd, Secretary-Treasurer of Oregon AFL-CIO, who was proud that her union has “fought hard for domestic partnership benefits on their contracts, for anti discrimination clauses that would prevent discrimination because of their gender identity and sexual orientation.......We're behind you in this fight; we want to keep out of state, right wing, anti gay interests. We will stand with you. You're not alone in this struggle, organized labor is behind you.”
The first of two Ministers was next to speak, Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, Universalist Unitarian Minister. He begins strong, saying that “a child will be born today that will thank you for your activism. That child will be Black, White, Latino, Asian, Native, mixed-race, gay or straight, rich or poor, that child will matter.”
Domestic Partnerships provide basic rights, human rights, and the ability for families to protect themselves. We are doing God's work when we are building a path to social equality.
The Reverend spoke eloquently of the connection between human society and God's law. “History tells us that Hate follows the ideologies and theologies of discrimination. When this happens to our neighbor, we are all affected.” According to Rev. Santos-Lyons, the solution to the problem is Community, building better relationships, with both those within this movement and those outside it, and that all struggles are linked.
“Overcoming racism is linked to overcoming heterosexism and sexism. May our stronger friendships breed trust, loyalty, compassion, and yes, forgiveness among us.”
The second testimony of committed couples came from Yolando Lozano and Jeanne Kirkpatrick. Speaking for the couple, a committed couple for 14 years, Lozano said that she was proud to represent the gray haired, Hispanic, rural lesbian members of our community.”
Having had a couple careers, both in government and in business, she “can't tell you how many times I've been quietly and subtly discriminated against, whether passed over for promotions or not given a raise when earned, or even once having my job deleted from the budget.”
“This law will have a tremendous impact on our health care decisions, retirement benefits and family law issues as we continue to age.”
Lozano thanked the people of Oregon and the fair minded legislators who went “as far as a state can go to insure that our families are treated equally.”
Alisa Simmons, Executive Director of Brother to Brother; was introduced next. Alisa stated that, “we really are in a monumental moment in history. Today we stand together as we approach the pinnacle of the Civil Rights Movement of the 21st century. As black, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people, and allies of diverse backgrounds, these days seem all to familiar to the struggles fought by pioneers of Equality that came before us.”
Jeanne Frazzini, Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon, the main organizer for the Rally, spoke to the long struggle against sexual discrimination. “For more than 30 years we've been out here in the rain, we've been standing in the rain, all of us who believe in fairness and justice for our families. We've been standing in this rain of heartless intolerance for far too long.”........When the Legislature passed our laws this past year, they stood on the right side of history.”
To loud and prolonged applause, former Governor Barbara Roberts was next on stage. “Today we are here, hundreds of us, to make three very strong public statements. One, we believe in the legal and Human rights of every Oregonian, including our gay and lesbian friends and family.”
“Two. We will not be silent while out of state fundamentalist fanatics like the Alliance Defense Fund attempt to use the Federal Court system to interfere with Oregon's Constitution and our State laws.”
“Three. We expect this nations Federal Courts to respect and protects the state's rights of all 50 states to control the election, voting and initiative systems of their own st ate.”
At this point the Portland Gay Men's Choir sang two songs, before the speakers continued.
Speaking for students, Tosh Shatz, PSU student leader and equal rights advocate acknowledged the many shoulders that the current struggle stood upon: labor rights, civil rights, women's rights, queer rights and Human rights . “I can feel the movement that we are a part of, and it's a greater movement for social justice.”
“We must come together in all of our beautiful colors and fight against oppression in every form.”
Speaking to the need for all cultures to work together, the next speaker was Kaysee Jama, Executive Director of theCenter for Intercultural Organizing.
“Let us find the right way and create a society that does not tell people that you are not equal, but one that guarantees every child their basic human rights that God gives.”
State Representative, Rep. Tina Kotek . Tina says that her and her partner of three years don't want to go somewhere else to be recognized. “We want to be recognized in our own state of Oregon, the state we work hard every day to make a better place. We are going to wait to have our celebration because we deserve, we demand our recognition in Oregon.”
Tina thanked those in elected office and those running for office who support basic human rights and then addressed what people must do to bring the struggle to a successful conclusion, down the road, past the upcoming ruling and beyond, to another possible ballot measure fight.
Rev. Tair Wilkins, Community of Welcoming Congregations referred to the fact that “religious and congregational leaders around the state, across traditions, are standing in solidarity with us to say that we are not going anywhere. We are here to stand on the side of Love and Justice s long as it takes. We will keep working to support our lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters because as a matter of Faith we believe all families deserve equal protection.”
During the event, and again just before the event was concluded, speakers indicated that sign up sheets were being circulated providing the gathering an opportunity to participate in the upcoming struggles by volunteering in various capacities.
Those wishing to contribute in any way to this struggle can contact Basic Rights Oregon
Though the decision announced on the Friday after this Rally did go their way, the battle is not over as the Alliance Defense Fund will surely appeal, and certainly attempt another signature gathering referendum.
NO LNG!
From local organic farmers to third generation fishermen, from small business owners to loggers, over 200 Oregonians gathered in front of Northwest Natural Gas in Portland Oregon in December of 2007 to protest Liquefied Natural gas facilities proposed for the Columbia River Estuary by Energy speculators from Texas, New York and California.
Speakers from these various demographics briefly took the bull horn to demand that their Governor, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, weigh in against the establishment of another unsustainable fossil fuel industry.
These energy infrastructures situated in Oregon would be used to pipe the natural gas to the lucrative markets in California, who have already refused to situate the facilities in their state.
Channel 11:
Saturday, February 16 at 11:00 pm
Channel 21:
Wednesday, February 20 at 10:30 pm and Saturday, February 23 at 7:30 pm and Tuesday, February 26 at 8:30 pm.
Also, posted to Google.com
Surge Protection Brigade on "A Growing Concern."
A replay of an "A Growing Concern" program, featuring members of the Surge Protection Brigade, also known as the Pissed off Grannies. The guests were recently acquitted of charges stemming from an anti war action on Good Friday of 2007, at the Military Recruiters Office on N.E. Broadway.
Schedules:
Channel 11:
Sunday, January 20 at 6:00 pm.
Channel 21:
Tuesday, January 22 at 11 pm and Saturday, January 26 at 6 pm and Tuesday, January 29 at 7 pm.
Portland Tea Party
December 16, 2007, is the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea
Party, where American Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest the
passage of the Tea Act, "which allowed the East India Company to sell tea to the
colonies directly and without 'payment of any customs or duties whatsoever' in
Britain, instead paying the much lower American duty."
"This tax break allowed the East India Company to sell tea for half the old
price and cheaper than the price of tea in England, enabling them to undercut
the prices offered by the colonial merchants and smugglers." (Wikipedia) Not so
different from today, when government gives wealthy Corporations the rights of
living, breathing human beings and puts their profit margins above the interests
of the People.
For this reason the tea was dumped into the harbor. And for these same
reasons members of Code Pink,
Veterans for Peace, Chapter 72, and
other supporters of the Constitution, dumped bags of compost symbolizing tea
over the side of the Hawthorne bridge soon after reading aloud the U.S.
Constitution and a list of current grievances.
The reading took place at Salmon Spring fountain where the gathering had
marched after singing rewritten Christmas carols to the Christmas shoppers
at Pioneer Square. These Carols had been brought up to date to portray the
situation in our Nation, the gradual loss of human and civil rights; the use and
justification for torture against enemies, real and imagined; the "taxation for
global domination."
The event began at Peace
Memorial Park on the East side of the Steel Bridge, where the group burned
copies of the USA PATRIOT Act, before boarding the Max train to Pioneer Square.
The day was not without adversity. When the gathering had taken the Max train from the Peace Memorial Park down to Pioneer Square, a rambunctious, or maybe ambitious, Tri Met official demanded that the Protesters stop Caroling on the Max train and also that we stop taping him.
And, at the Square three citizens were outraged by
the signs alluding to Bush Administration complicity in the 911 terrorist attack
on the World Trade Center. These three actually claimed to be against the war,
and no friends of the Bush Administration, but believed that these allegations
went too far and somehow denigrated those who died there that September day.
Yet the protesters met with numerous honks of approval from passers by, as well as nods and vocalizations of agreement from pedestrians in the streets and at Pioneer Square.
After dumping the tea into the Willamette River, the crowd slowly dispersed.
This is a video of the highlights of the event, about 25 minutes in length. It includes testimony from a few of the attendees, some of the revamped Christmas Carols, the Tri Met officer, the three citizens protesting the protesters and the reading of the U.S. Constitution with current grievances.
Metro East Television Schedules:
Channel 11:
Saturday, January 19 at 11 pm.
Channel 21:
Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 pm and Friday, January 25 at 7:30 pm.
Portland Community Media Schedules:
Channel 11:
Friday 1/25/2008, 11:00 PM, Channel 11
Channel 22:
Monday 2/4/2008, 9:00 PM and Wednesday 2/6/2008, 6:30 PM
Channel 23:
Tuesday 1/29/2008, 7:30 PM and Thursday 1/31/2008, 9:30 PM
Portland Tea Party on Google.com
Audio files of event:
Portland
Tea Party, RealPlayer
Portland Tea Party,
MP3
The Shock Doctrine
Naomi Klein, whose most recent book,
The Shock Doctrine: the Rise
of Disaster Capitalism has been an international best-seller, spoke to an
overflowing house in Portland Oregon on Friday, December 7, 2007.
Metro East Playback Schedules:
Channel 11:
Friday, January 18, 2008 at 1:00 am.
Portland Community Media Schedules:
Channel 22:
Thursday 1/31/2008, 8:00 PM and Saturday 2/9/2008, 8:00 PM
Channel 23:
Saturday 2/2/2008, 9:00 PM and Tuesday 2/5/2008, 7:00 PM
The crowd completely filled the available space and the overflow were
provided with television coverage in the basement of the
First Unitarian Church
where she was speaking.
Klein, whose parents went to
Canada seeking political asylum because of the Viet Nam war, was born in
Montreal in 1970, spoke for about an hour, answered questions for about an hour
afterwards, and concluded her talk with a
6 minute video.
Engaging, but casual, smart and eloquent, but easily understood, her
presentation charmed the crowd as much by its style as by its content. Though
speaking from a podium, she seemed very much a part of, rather than apart from
the gathering
She begins, "it's wonderful to be at the heart of Portland's legendary
Progressive community; thank you for all the work you have done over the years
in keeping up this fight. It is a revolutionary moment. There are moments when
it feels less so, and Portland keeps on keeping' on, which we appreciate."
Arriving here from Los Angeles, which is still recovering from the wild fires
of recent months, she was met with television images of people who have lost
their homes to floods, highways collapses, mudslides and road closures.
"These are very familiar images to me , because I've spent the last four years
immersed in disaster zones. ...It reminds me of what I've seen in Biloxi
Mississippi after Katrina, or New Orleans after Katrina, or Sri Lanka after the
tsunami."
"We're going to be talking about disaster tonight, we're going to be talking
about disaster capitalism, and it seems only appropriate for us to begin
this discussion by thinking about these disasters unfolding in this region, in
other parts of the country, around the world......Think about when we see these
images, when a community is living through these disasters, what our initial
human response is. ...."
"The initial human response to a disaster is not to exploit it for personal
gain, that's not what most people want to do. What most people want to do is
help When they see i t on television from far away, they want to help. That was
the response to the tsunami, that was the response to Katrina, that was the
response in this state.........The message that I have is that we are not
inevitably exploited in the face of a disaster. There are choices at all of
these junctures, and I think we need to remember that."
"This phenomenon that I call Disaster Capitalism is really the opposite of
that initial human response that we all felt....What Disaster Capital sees in a
crisis is really the opposite of that. Th
