Metro President Lynn Peterson has worked at just about every level of government, both as an elected and appointed leader. She's served as a Lake Oswego City Councilor, Clackamas County Commission chair, senior transportation policy advisor to Governor John Kitzhaber, and head of the Washington State Transportation Department (we ask her about the wild end of her tenure in WA, forced by the state senate). Now she serves as Council President of Metro, the one-of-a-kind regional government for the Portland area (which she explains in the episode).
In this episode, Peterson takes complicated policy issues (like housing, the urban growth boundary, homelessness, and transportation) and explains them in simple terms. She also underscores the scope of the challenges we face (spoiler: we are *way* short of the number of housing units we need in the region, and it might be worse than you think). We also talk about "People for Portland" and its impact on the political landscape in Portland, plus her advice for Mayor Ted Wheeler on how to immediately solve for Portland's dysfunctional form of government.
Peterson is running for reelection. You can learn more about her on her website, Twitter, or Facebook.
John Frohnmayer on polarization, ethics, and why third party candidates fail | EP 120
Will Lathrop is the first Republican candidate to declare for Oregon’s Attorney General race | EP 119
Author Marc Johnson on how Mansfield and Dirksen used political power to solve big problems in turbulent times | EP118
The Scramble for Statewide Office | EP 117
Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps is running for Mayor! | EP 116
Introducing Reagan’s Candidate Tracker | EP 115
What it’s like to be a Republican National Committeeman with Solomon Yue | EP 114
What the life and legacy of Steve ”Pre” Prefontaine mean to Oregon with Tom Jordan | EP 113
The ”Three Act Play” of the 2023 Legislative Session | EP 112
Explaining the ”Greater Idaho” Movement with Matt McCaw | EP 111
The unsolved murder of an Oregon state agency leader | EP 110
What politicos need to know about psilocybin with Nate Howard | EP 109
How do we restore a sense of safety in Portland? Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt | EP 108
Who will be the next Secretary of State? | EP 107
The role of effective communication in Oregon politics with Kristina Edmunson | EP 106
What political leaders need to know about childbirth and maternal health, with Rebecca Grant
Why the 1990 election changed Oregon forever, with Jeff Mapes | EP 104
What’s next in criminal justice justice reform, with Justin Low | EP 103
How a Pro-Gun Group Stopped Oregon’s Measure 114 | EP 102
Jules Bailey on the future of Portland--and why the bottle bill still matters | EP 101
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