Webinar: Transportation Challenges

Recorded Zoom webinar: Transportation Challenges for Portland and Beyond

Click on the arrow below to view the video of this webinar, which was recorded November 15, 2023.

This LWV of Portland Zoom webinar featured a panel of government and nonprofit leaders who discussed several of the most urgent challenges now facing our transportation sector. These challenges directly affect our communities.

The panelists:

    • Moderator: Chris Smith, a transportation policy expert and a long-time community volunteer. Chris also explained how Portland’s transportation system fits into Metro regional transportation planning.
    • Millicent Williams,  Director, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) discussing funding concerns. Funding is a major challenge confronting multiple government transportation agencies. In part, this is due to less revenue from gas taxes. However, Portland also faces other revenue and expense concerns. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) must deal with this issue now as the City of Portland is developing budgets for its next fiscal year. 
    • Zachary Lauritzen, Interim Executive Director, Oregon Walks, discussing transportation safety. Safety on, and alongside, our roads continues to be a difficult problem with consequences that can be deadly. Addressing safety concerns requires action by multiple agencies– not just the transportation sector. 
    • Jana Gastellum, Executive Director, Oregon Environmental Council, discussing climate concerns. Transportation is Oregon’s largest source of carbon emissions, so it is an important factor in addressing climate concerns. Options to reduce driving and the transition to electric vehicles reduce gas tax revenues. This requires consideration of additional state-level funding approaches.

This program was recorded by MetroEast Community Media. It is also available as a podcast here.

Funding for production of this program is provided by the League of Women Voters of Portland Education Fund and the Carol and Velma Saling Foundation. 

Replay dates and times on cable TV are shown below.

Webinar: Police Oversight Update

Watch the video of our webinar on the new Community Board to investigate police misconduct

On  October 11, the League of Women Voters of Portland presented a Zoom webinar on “A new Community Board for Police Accountability.” The speakers and the moderator were members of the Police Accountability Commission (PAC). The PAC spent thousands of volunteer hours planning the details of how this new community board will operate. The final plan carries out the requirements in the charter amendment that voters passed in November 2020 by almost 82%.  A representative of the U.S. Department of Justice  also spoke.

Listen to the  podcast of this event by clicking here.

Schedule for replays of this program on cable TV:

Portland Is Changing! Charter Implementation Successes and Challenges

A recorded Panel Discussion    

On September 19, 2023,  a panel of leading experts discussed the work accomplished thus far and work that is underway to ensure effective and fair implementation of the  charter reforms approved by voters last November.  Panelists:

    • Melanie Billings-Yun, Charter Review Commissioner, 2020-22 (Moderator) 
    • Shoshanah Oppenheim, Charter Transition Project Manager
    • Marcus Mundy, Executive Director, Coalition of Communities of Color
    • Leah Benson, Co-Chair, Government Transition Advisory Committee (GTAC)
    • Alex Zielinski, Reporter, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)

Click on the arrow to view the video recording of the program:

Listen to the podcast of this program by clicking here.

The video is being shown on cable TV at the times listed below. 

 

LWV Info on Charter Reforms

By M.O. Stevens – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10470949

The League is working hard to make sure the charter reforms that voters passed in November 2022  will make Portland’s government and elections better.

Our new page on City Charter Reform links to resources explaining ranked choice voting and the decisions being made now about our 2025 city government. We’ll be adding more resources as these decisions are finalized. Stay tuned!

Updated Directory of Elected Officials Available Now

A page describing the contents of a document as the updated list of the Directory of Elected Officials

We’ve updated our Directory of Elected Officials, with information from the results of the May 2023 Special Election. Read it by clicking here. You’ll find information about how to contact all the elected representatives who serve people in our area. There are websites, emails, or phone numbers for everyone from President Biden to the directors of the Fire Districts.

When you have a concern about government, you can use this contact info to ask questions or express your opinion. The Directory also has information about political parties and voter registration. Finally, if you need more details about area governments, check out the Contact Elected Officials page of this website.