Pacific Time: The "What if...?" of West Coast Independence

16 For Asylum, Against Ambush: Will the West Coast Be A Sanctuary for America's Soul? With Anonymous Immigration Rights Advocate

What if protecting immigrants is the best way to protect American identity?In towns and cities up and down the West Coast, immigrants arrived in search of safety and opportunity. But what happens after they cross the border? Who helps them navigate the broken promises—and the broken systems?In this episode of Pacific Time, Greg speaks with an immigrant rights advocate who requested anonymity. This person sits with families, fills out their forms, attends their hearings, and looks after them when ICE shows up without warning.Through our guest’s stories, we hear about the trauma families carry, the cultural resilience they bring, and the urgent need for the West Coast to do more than welcome—to protect. As federal systems collapse and fear spreads, our guest offers a vision of community, solidarity, and soul-saving moral clarity.HighlightsWhy recent arrivals are grateful—and determined not to be a “public charge”How ICE raids, no-warrant arrests, and legal limbo are tearing families apartThe hidden promise and process gapStories from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cameroon, Syria, and Turkmenistan—and what they revealWhy cultural events matter as much as court appearancesOur guest’s warning: “We are going to lose our souls if we don’t stand up.”About Our GuestOur guest leads an immigrant rights advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. For years, our guest has worked to ensure that immigrant families receive legal guidance, emotional support, English language education, and cultural affirmation. Due to threats and the sensitive nature of her work, our guest’s identity is protected in this interview.Resources & References:Northwest Immigrant Rights ProjectCalifornia Immigrant Policy CenterEl Centro de la RazaOregon for AllImmigrants' Rights | American Civil Liberties UnionSeparated: Inside an American Tragedy: By Jacob SoboroffAsylum, Explained - BoundlessRed Cards / Tarjetas Rojas | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRCRelated Episodes:15 What if Connection Was A Civic Responsibility? With Aaron Hurst12 What if the Resistance was Funny? With Mark Fiore07 A West Coast Wake-up Call as the US Scrambles the World Order? With John ZysmanJoin the movement:💬  Participate in active, civil conversations with your neighbors on the West Coast who are asking ‘What if…?’ For example, what if your ancestors were fleeing violence or persecution where they grew up today? How would that change the way you look at immigrant rights and processes? Subscribe (for free) and let’s discuss on Substack.Follow:📲 Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on BlueSky, Instagram, and FacebookListen:🎧 Pacific Time Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.Thanks to:Sponsor: ShareIt MusicWise Counsel: Blair CarletonMoral Support: Kerry RedingProducers: Tim Wohlberg, Valerie McTavish

15 What if Connection Was A Civic Responsibility? With Aaron Hurst

In a time of growing polarization and civic breakdown, Aaron Hurst is betting big on connection. The founder of the U.S. Chamber of Connection joins Pacific Time to explore how loneliness and disconnection are threatening our democracy—and what the West Coast can do about it. We talk about Seattle’s “bear hug” movement, the deeper meaning of friendship at work, and why purpose without belonging turns into rage.Episode Highlights:Why purpose without connection can lead to political extremismThe ROI of building social capital in cities“Best friend at work” as an overlooked civic metricHow Seattle is flipping the “Seattle Freeze” into a “Seattle Bear Hug”Onboarding residents like we onboard employeesWhy the future of national service might be localThe new frontier of pro-social localismGuest Bio: Aaron Hurst is a purpose economy pioneer, co-founder of Imperative, founder of Taproot Foundation, and now the architect behind the U.S. Chamber of Connection. He lives in Seattle and is leading a civic experiment to make cities more welcoming, connected, and humane.Resources:uschamberofconnection.orgGallup research on workplace friendships"Bear hugs to thaw Seattle Freeze" (Q13 Fox/YouTube)Related Episodes:Ep 13: What if National Service Jump Started the West Coast Workforce? With Nicole TrimbleEp 08: Leave America And Discover Ecotopia?Ep 10: What if Blue Cities Got It Together? With Sandeep KaushikThanks to:Our sponsor: Share It Music and instant crushProducer: Tim Wohlberg

14 Could Bolder Plans Re-Build Our Confidence in West Coast Cities? With Nolan Lienhart

Portland was once a darling of American urban planning. Then came the protests, the pandemic, and the pundit pile-on. Is the city really in free fall—or just between chapters?In this episode, we sit down with Nolan Lienhart, a principal at ZGF Architects and a leading voice in West Coast urban design. Based in Portland, Nolan offers a firsthand look at how perceptions of the city have been a rollercoaster ride over the last 10 years.We talk about what Portland got right, what it lost along the way, and why public agencies across the country have lost their appetite for risk and experimentation. From the Portlandia effect to the myth of seamless civic collaboration, Nolan unpacks why cities that seem successful can suddenly seem stuck—and what they can do to move forward.**Special thanks to Pacific Time's inaugural sponsor, Share It Music -- the independent, non-profit record label behind such bands as Cumulus. (Listen to the end of the episode for a taste)**Highlights:The "Portlandia effect" and the myth of effortless successWhy public-private partnerships require tolerance for risk—which is in short supply when everyone is a criticWhat Portland gets unfairly blamed for (and what it shouldn’t take credit for)How media coverage in 2020 distorted the reality on the groundWhat cities like Nashville and Austin are doing right—and why they might be the new modelsThe limits of placemaking: when physical design isn’t enoughPortland’s housing affordability crisis as a missing pillar in its planning legacyWhere West Coast cities need to go next—and who needs to lead the wayGuest Bio:Nolan Lienhart is a principal and director of planning and urban design at ZGF, a multidisciplinary design firm based in Portland, Oregon. He has led projects in Seattle, Los Angeles, and other West Coast cities, with a focus on transit, downtown revitalization, and equitable public space. Nolan is known for bringing honesty, humility, and historical perspective to conversations about what cities need now.Suggested Resources:ZGF Architects’ design work on Portland’s transit mall, streetcar system, and PSU campusNolan Lienhart, Principal and Director Planning & Urban Design at ZGF Architects on LinkedInPortland’s Downtown Plan (1972) – the foundational policy document that informed much of Portland’s modern formThe Death and Life of Great American Cities - Jane Jacobs’ seminal work in urban planningRelated Episodes:10 What if Blue Cities Got it Together? With Sandeep Kaushik09 Will California Bring the Unsexy Back? With Dan Walters02 How Can the West Coast Redesign Itself? With Mickey McManus08 Leave America and Discover Ecotopia? (Solo)Join the movement:💬  Participate in active, civil conversations with your neighbors on the West Coast who are asking ‘What if…?’  Come to the community center for Pacific Time at Substack.Follow:📲 Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on BlueSky, Instagram, and FacebookListen:🎧 Pacific Time Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.Thanks to these members of the Pacific Time Community: Tim Wohlberg, ProducerValerie McTavish, ConsultantLaura Goff, Sister (for putting up with me and introducing me to Nolan)Cayle Sharett, Founder, Share It MusicKara Mattani, Sub-Pop Records (for introducing me to Cayle)

13 What if National Service Jump Started the West Coast Workforce? With Nicole Trimble

What if service wasn’t just about giving back—but about moving forward?Nicole Trimble has spent decades championing national service and workforce development—from helping launch AmeriCorps in the 1990s to reshaping how companies invest in their frontline employees. In this conversation, she makes a bold case for why the West Coast needs to double down on national service—not just as a patriotic duty, but as a jobs pipeline, a civic renewal strategy, and an antidote to polarization.Key TakeawaysWhy the recent cuts to AmeriCorps and national service programs could have devastating ripple effectsHow community colleges and DEI initiatives are undercut by short-sighted federal rollbacksWhat the West Coast can do to build inclusive, locally-driven workforce systemsWhether universal service could repair our frayed national identityGuest Bio: Nicole Trimble is a national service alum, former Gates Foundation program officer, and social impact executive with deep expertise in workforce equity and corporate responsibility. She chaired Washington’s Commission for National and Community Service under two governors and currently advises companies and nonprofits on talent, inclusion, and purpose-driven strategy.Resources:Nicole Trimble/LinkedInBill Clinton: National Service Address (Rutgers University, March 1993)AmeriCorps ROIRelated Episodes:Ep 01: Reclaiming Democracy: The Case for West Coast Independence (Solo)Ep 06: What if the West Coast Designed Healthcare from Scratch? (With Mike Hanlon)Ep 10: What if Blue Cities on the West Coast Got It Together? (With Sandeep Kaushik)Join the movement:💬  Participate in active, civil conversations with your neighbors on the West Coast who are asking ‘What if…?’  Come to the community center for Pacific Time at Substack.Follow:📲 Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on BlueSky, Instagram, and FacebookListen:🎧 Pacific Time Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.

12 What if the Resistance was Funny? With Mark Fiore

Is satire still effective when reality becomes a cartoon? Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Mark Fiore joins Pacific Time to talk buffoonery, burnout, and drawing the line on tyranny.Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Mark Fiore joins Pacific Time to talk about the absurdity of American politics, the moral range of satire, and why cartoonists are often the first to be jailed (or fired) when democracy erodes. We cover buffoons left and right, the limits of visual journalism, and what happens when Stanford cartoon labs meet AI-generated propaganda. If the West Coast ever got its own constitution, Mark might be the one to draw it—literally.Key Takeaways:✅ Satire remains powerful—but it's harder than ever when politics becomes self-parody✅ Mark Fiore sees cartooning as both journalism and civic engagement✅ Visual humor bypasses intellectual defenses and reaches emotional truth faster than op-eds✅ AI could help satirists—not replace them—if it’s ethically deployed and style-controlled✅ Fiore’s Stanford fellowship revealed striking warnings from global journalists who’ve seen democracy unravel and live through Orwell-like disinformation✅ Satire can’t fix everything—but it reminds people they’re not crazy to see what’s happening✅ The West Coast might just need its own constitution, drawn panel by panelGuest Bio:Mark Fiore is a political cartoonist and animator who has won the Pulitzer Price and the RFK Freedom Award. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Nation, KQED, and Mother Jones. He recently completed a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University, focusing on AI and visual satire.Related Resources:MarkFiore.comMark Fiore’s SubstackJSK Fellowship at Stanford: jsk.stanford.eduRelated Episodes:Ep 08: Leave America and Discover Ecotopia?Ep 02: How Can the West Coast Redesign Itself?Ep 10: What If Blue Cities on the West Coast Got It Together?Join the movement:💬  Participate in active, civil conversations with your neighbors on the West Coast who are asking ‘What if…?’  Come to the community center for Pacific Time at Substack.Follow:📲 Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on BlueSky, Instagram, and FacebookListen:🎧 Pacific Time Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.