Podcasts about ways means

Bryan and Reagan discuss recent guests on Crosstabs, the politics of gun bills, House floor drama, legislative deadlines, and more.* Ways & Means w/ Rep. Greg Smith* Fireside Chat w/ Commissioner West* HCR 15 - Establishing deadlines for the completion of legislative measures for the 2025 regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly* Arizona bill markup* How Does Arizona's Legislature Work and Why Is There a COW?* Oregon Republican lawmaker reads sexually explicit passage on House floor to call out bill that would ban book bans This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crosstabs.studio

State Representative Greg Smith joins the podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crosstabs.studio

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today's special episode, we are joined by retiring Rep. Penny Houston to reflect on her nearly 40 years of public service in elected office. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) has served in the Georgia House of Representatives since 1997, representing House District 170, which includes Berrien, Cook, and parts of Tift counties. She is the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development and sits on several key committees, including Ways & Means, Banks & Banking, Economic Development & Tourism, and others. Houston has also held leadership roles in various state and national committees and boards. She recently announced that she will be retiring from elected office at the end of her term. In her community, Penny is active in the Nashville United Methodist Church, the Methodist Home in Macon, and local chambers of commerce. She is an honorary member of the Nashville Rotary Club and has supported the Georgia Sheriff's Youth Homes for over 30 years. A rural Georgia native, she grew up in Leary, Georgia, and has lived in Nashville for nearly 50 years. Penny graduated from Stephens College and the University of Georgia, and she enjoys spending time with her three children and six grandchildren. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3 Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen Craig Kidd on Twitter @CraigKidd1 Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Editor of The Stranger and noted poet, Rich Smith! Crystal and Rich discuss the significance of the Stranger endorsing “Uncommitted Delegates” in the March 12th Presidential Primary. They then celebrate the legislature's passage of the Strippers' Bill of Rights and mourn the deaths of rent stabilization and even-year elections at the hands of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. Finally, they cover Seattle City Council's inexcusable silencing of protesters with arrest. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Rich Smith at @richsssmith.   Resources Check out our audiograms about proposed Seattle surveillance technologies and get your public comments in by the NEW deadline, March 22nd!   Vote Uncommitted WA   “The Stranger Endorses Uncommitted Delegates for the March 12, 2024 Presidential Primary Election” from The Stranger Election Control Board   “Donald Trump has a massive lead over Nikki Haley in Washington's 2024 Republican presidential primary, NPI poll finds” by Andrew Villeneuve from The Cascadia Advocate   “Washington Passes Strippers' Bill of Rights” by Rich Smith from The Stranger   “Senate Democrats Stiff Renters for the Third or Fourth Time, It's Honestly Difficult to Keep Track” by Rich Smith from The Stranger   “Conservative Senate Democrats Stiff Renters Yet Again” by Rich Smith from The Stranger   “Ways & Means declines to take up NPI's even year elections bill, ending its 2024 run” by Andrew Villeneuve from The Cascadia Advocate   “Police Arrest Six of Sara Nelson's Political Enemies After She Refuses to Hear Concerns of Asylum-Seekers” by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger   “6 protesters arrested during council meeting at Seattle City Hall” by David Kroman from The Seattle Times   “King County, Tukwila announce new investments to help asylum-seekers” by Anna Patrick from The Seattle Times   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   Listen on your favorite podcast app to all our episodes here   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and Friday week-in-review delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. An update from last week's Tuesday topical show - public comment on bringing three surveillance technologies to Seattle has been extended from the original February 29th deadline to March 22nd. Check out our audiograms from this week and get your comment in now. Today we are continuing our Friday week-in-review shows, where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's co-host: Editor of The Stranger and noted poet, Rich Smith. [00:01:20] Rich Smith: Hey, Crystal - how you doing? [00:01:22] Crystal Fincher: Doing? I mean - I'm doing. All things considered, I'm all right. All things considered is doing heavy lifting in that statement, but here we are. But hey, we have a presidential primary going on. We have ballots now, and there is a movement that The Stranger has endorsed for Uncommitted Delegates - for those who identify as Democrats - in the March 12th presidential primary. What is that? And why has The Stranger decided to endorse that? [00:01:55] Rich Smith: Great questions. Yeah - well, you've got your primary ballot. You've got some options there. They include Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson - who dropped out, and Uncommitted Delegates. Uncommitted Delegates is just a delegate that will, if that bubble gets more than 15% of the vote share after the primary, go to the national convention - which is scheduled for August of this year in Chicago. And in the first round of balloting, when voting on the nominee, they just aren't pledged to vote for any particular candidate unlike the pledge delegates, which Joe Biden will almost certainly win the vast majority of at the conclusion of the primary. So functionally, that's what it means - uncommitted delegate is someone who can decide who they want to vote for at the convention rather than just doing it ahead of time. And The Stranger endorsed it for a number of reasons. Chiefly, we do not like Joe Biden's response to the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. We do not like his hard right turn to the right. We do not like a number of other things that he did or did not do during the course of his four years in office. And this is the only time - the Democratic primary - where we get to raise an objection, make our voices heard in a language that he can hear, which is the language of delegates at the convention. The thinking is - if we send some uncommitted delegates, if the movement gets big enough, then during that first round of voting, the delegates can make a little noise if the war crimes are still going on. [00:03:39] Crystal Fincher: Now, one important note in this effort, because a lot of people were saying - We're going to write-in "Ceasefire," we're going to write-in a different candidate. That is, in Washington state - because of state law - a suboptimal option because officials only tally write-in votes from candidates who file "timely declarations" of a write-in candidacy and who also exceed the number of votes earned by the second place candidate. So that "Ceasefire" vote, that write-in is not going to be tallied or reported. It'll get lumped in with people who write-in some random name of a friend or someone who they wish would be president there. So the actual most organized and impactful way to register that vote is Uncommitted Delegates. There also have - heard some people who typically vote for Democrats say - Well, I want to cross over and vote for Nikki Haley instead of Donald Trump because I find Donald Trump offensive and don't want that. I don't know how much of an impact that is going to have here in Washington state. One, ultimately, most of the votes will wind up going to a Democrat - we're a blue state, that's not controversial. But two, even on the Republican side, NPI just came out with a poll this week showing Donald Trump holds a commanding lead in the Republican primary among Republicans - about 75% of Republicans saying that they planned to vote for Donald Trump in that poll. So what's the hope - to get Nikki Haley from 20% to 25%, 25% to 30%? I don't know how much of an impact that is. Obviously, people are free to choose however they do want to vote, but very important that you do make your voice heard, that you are aware of what the options are, what the ballot looks like. And again, for the Uncommitted Delegates option, that's actually a bubble that you can fill in - you don't have to write-in anything, and that's how that would be registered. Also, a reminder that the presidential election ballots are due by March 12th, 2024. Don't forget to sign the outside of your ballot. In presidential primaries, we have to declare the party on the outside of the ballot - without those things happening, your ballot can't be counted. So make sure that you - one, participate and vote your conscience. There is a very effective way to do that right now. [00:06:10] Rich Smith: Yeah, we need as many people to do it as possible so we can send as many delegates as possible and show Biden that his behavior on foreign policy matters and on immigration - two domains over which the executive branch has almost exclusive control. I know that Congress has the purse or whatever, but as we've seen with the sending of weapons to Israel in December - Joe Biden, if there is an emergency, the executive branch can skirt Congress and send the money anyway. And the way that the national security apparatus is set up, especially with the continued authorization of use of military force, Biden can bomb the Houthis without talking to Congress much. He's got a lot of power and it's just so rare to get the opportunity to speak directly to a president about foreign policy. We don't have a draft, people aren't really talking about foreign policy when they vote - foreign policy isn't at the top of their list of things that they vote on. And so, presidents don't feel like they have to respond to Democratic pressure because there's not a lot of Democratic pulleys that give us power over him, basically, on those policies - on immigration and on foreign policy. So we rarely, rarely get this opportunity - it's certainly worth doing for that reason. [00:07:28] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And I've talked about this a lot of times before, but primaries are your opportunity to truly vote your conscience. There's a lot of pressure in a lot of different directions in general elections. And it's not just a referendum on one person - sometimes we are in the position of picking the lesser of the two evils. But when that is ultimately the choice, it is on us to do all we can - in the meantime and around that - to lessen the evil overall. And so it is the time to be able to vote your conscience. There are lots of people who are having lots of discussions about voting in November, about Biden versus Trump. But this isn't that time. This is a Democratic primary where you can vote your conscience and you can send a message in a way that is stronger than just about anything we can do, especially as Washington state residents. So I certainly will be taking advantage of this option and want to make sure that lots of other people know that this is an option for them too. [00:08:35] Rich Smith: Hear, hear. [00:08:37] Crystal Fincher: Also want to talk about the legislature this week. There was a positive thing - a positive, I mean, maybe there are more positive things - but there was a positive thing that happened that's worth talking about. A Strippers' Bill of Rights passed. What did this bill do and why is it important? [00:08:55] Rich Smith: The bill did a lot. The bill established and added a bunch of labor protections for strippers in Washington state who have been needing them for far too long. It repealed the lewd conduct codes - the WAC, as they call them, Washington Administrative Codes - which were used and cited to raid gay bars in Seattle in January. And in doing so, it creates a pathway for strip clubs to apply for liquor licenses, so they can help offset the cost of some of the labor protections the state will now force them to implement - having panic buttons in certain areas, more safety training, lowering the house fees or the rental fees that strippers have to pay to clubs before they go on stage for the night so that they start the night indebted. And if the fees are too high - sometimes they're as high as $150, $200 a night - they will work a whole shift and just give all that money to the club owner and go home empty-handed. So this bill capped those fees to help strippers make money and express themselves sexually without the burdensome fees. What does it do? It frees the nipple and the jockstrap in queer bars so that the police don't have a reason to barge in as they did in January with their flashlights and their photographs - taking pictures of people in jockstrap in the clubs. It will more or less revolutionize the strip club industry in Seattle and give the workers the protections that they've long needed. I don't know if you've been to a strip club recently in Seattle, but it's kind of sad in there. It's not really a social atmosphere. People are there to sort of drink Dr. Pepper, and watch people dance, and then go get loaded in the parking lot, and then come back in. And that creates a kind of menacing atmosphere. And so the hope is - and that's supported by a state report released in 2020 - that having a more social atmosphere, having stuff to do there that's not just watch dancers and mull a lap dance will create a safer and funner environment for everybody and liberate sexual expression. But before this, with the lewd conduct laws - everything that a stripper did on stage was criminalized. They technically couldn't walk off stage with too sheer a bra or they would be having a threat of arrest. They couldn't take tips while they were dancing on stage without actual threat of arrest. There was a bunch of proximity rules in the codes that would have made lap dances illegal, basically. And so it decriminalizes stripping, essentially, in Washington and makes us the last state in the union to allow alcohol sales - in a kind of roundabout way. Basically, the repeal of the code means there's no enforcement of alcohol sales in clubs and it allows them to apply for the state's other liquor licenses - so that's the kind of roundabout way they're doing it. But it's incredible. It takes the boot of the state off the neck of marginalized communities and is a real win. [00:11:58] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, this is a marginalized community of workers. Workers that have been denied rights, been at risk of criminalization and penalties and everything that comes with that. Workers deserve protection - starts just as fundamentally and as simply as that. And every employer owes safety and fair compensation to their employees or to contractors working on their behalf. And so, this certainly brings us in-line with the modern world in many ways. And so just pleased to see that the legislature took action to protect workers in this way. Now, the legislature failed to take action, unfortunately, in some other very key areas - in areas that Democrats, certainly the House of Representatives, defined as priorities, defined as very important. Starting with the failure to pass rent stabilization, which would have, among other things, capped rent increases at 7% annually - which is still a healthy increase. But right now there is still continuing virtually unlimited rent increases across the state. I have talked about before - my neighbors received a 45% rent increase annually - in one year - from previous year. And this is contributing to housing insecurity. This is contributing to our homelessness problem. This is contributing to income inequality. And it's contributing to rising house prices across the state overall. This, in particular, really does fail to help our problem of displacement here in our communities - was just so disappointed to see this. Why did this happen? [00:13:48] Rich Smith: Yeah, it was a little bit - the short answer is that two men with somewhat adorable electoral ambition decided to quietly strangle the bill in the Senate's Ways and Means Committee, after a State senator representing Southwest Washington - Annette Cleveland - strangled the bill in a kind of clumsy and public way in the Senate's Housing Committee. And they don't offer many reasons for doing so, and the reasons they do offer are not good and unsupported by evidence. So in the Ways and Means Committee, you could only lose two Democratic votes, basically, to get anything through. The Ways and Means Committee is stacked with conservative Democrats, certainly fiscally conservative Democrats. And so Mark Mullet is on the Ways and Means Committee - he represents Issaquah, and he's just a true believer. He thinks that a rent stabilization package at 7% will decrease construction of new housing in the medium to long-term. And so it is not worth protecting the 40% of households in Washington who rent now from astronomically high rent increases that push them out of their communities - that's too great a risk - a potential medium to long-term decrease of indeterminate size in the number of housing units constructed in Washington. This is the kind of information that they're providing. Van De Wege did not give a reason. Rep Strom Petersen, who had talked to Van De Wege, asked him if he needed any amendments on the bill - they were willing to negotiate cap size, they were willing to negotiate all manner of exceptions. And Van De Wege shrugged and said, No. So not even giving a full-throated principled reason for quietly doing this to millions of Washington renters. And Annette Cleveland beforehand strangled the bill in her committee, saying that - it was spreading, basically, misinformation as far as I'm concerned. She said that the rent cap of 15%, which was the one that she was considering at the time - extremely high, almost comically high rent cap - would only catch the most egregious abusers because landlords would, as a matter of course, raise rates 15% every year. Because if they can't raise it however much they want, then they'll raise it to the cap every single time. This is silly. Everyone will tell you, even the f**ing landlords will tell you that a 3% to 5% rent increase on an annual basis is the kind of norm. That's what the developers and lenders are both agreeing on when they sign their contracts. That's the stuff that they're counting on when they're figuring out their returns on investment. So a 7% rent cap is more than genuous, especially with the exceptions in the bill. In any event, aside from that, she also cited a bunch of old papers talking about first-generation rent control, which is much more strict than the rent stabilization measures that the legislature was discussing. Those arguments are also - in recent review from academics - a little bit suspect, a little bit rosier, actually, for rent stabilization, and we could have a whole show on that. But anyway, she cited those disingenuous anti-rent control arguments to justify her support of killing rent stabilization measure, which is a completely different policy. And she insulted her colleagues while she was at it by citing the Urban Institute report that was actually less critical of rent stabilization than she made it out to be. But showing that she was concerned with the bill's impact on Black and brown people - doesn't want to raise the rents on those communities - and so decided to kill a bill that would make sure that they wouldn't face high rent gouging prices that have been pushing them out of their communities for the last two decades. I know I'm ranting here, but I can't underline this enough. This bill is too late, but must pass. We really could have used rent stabilization at the beginning of 2010 when rents started shooting up, and would shoot up over 92% over that decade. Rents have been sort of flat in aggregate for the last couple of years, but that doesn't mean, as you say, that landlords aren't jacking up rents on people to economically evict them because they can. That sort of stuff needs to stop - that bill would have prevented it - the Senate Democrats didn't let it happen this year. [00:18:08] Crystal Fincher: Didn't let it happen. And it should be noted that two people who were critical to killing this bill - Mark Mullet and Senator Van De Wege - are also running for statewide office. Mark Mullet is running for governor as a Democrat. Kevin Van De Wege is running for lands commissioner. Really interesting choices to refuse to help 40% of the state's population. [00:18:35] Rich Smith: Just a number of coalition partners - the Members of Color Caucus in both chambers prioritized this bill. The LGBT community came out, especially in Seattle, to do a big rally in support of this bill. Hundreds of people descended on the Capitol steps in Olympia during this session to support a bill from every part of the state - east, west, north, south. Every renter has been feeling this pressure, and the state legislature on some bulls**t about potential long-term costs to the housing supply - which they cannot quantify or have not quantified, I haven't seen the number. If so, please send it over to me - I can't wait to have that discussion. And the only salvo that they're giving us - and I'll stop talking after this - is, Well, next year, Mullet won't be there because he's giving up his seat to run for governor. Van De Wege won't be there because he's giving up his seat to run for land commissioner. A couple of other senators are going to announce their retirement - Sam Hunt has announced his retirement, we've got maybe a couple more. So those places on Ways and Means will be replaced by politicians who don't have the same politics as these conservatives. So next year, it'll be a whole new legislature. The complexion will change and yada, yada, yada. And in the meantime, renters are going to face massive rent increases. So that's the consolation. [00:19:58] Crystal Fincher: Yeah. And we really don't know if the next legislature - if the Senate is going to be constructed differently. We don't know who's going to be elected to those open seats. And so what I will say is moving forward this year, it's important to get people who are running on the record, to talk about how important this is. As local party organizations are going through their endorsement processes, this be a question that's going to impact whether you decide to endorse or not. Those are the types of decisions that should be being talked about now and decided now, so as we move forward we have a better idea of who stands where and what we can expect from this legislature. The last thing I would say is - as people are running, it's so clear how much more power chairs of committees and leadership have. So it's great to be elected as a senator, as a representative. But as we've seen, chairs of committees can just flat out refuse to hear a bill that has wide popular support, that would pass on the floor if it got there. They can prevent it from getting to the floor. So who do these senators expect to support, or will they rule out supporting people for chair and leadership positions? This matters and this is very impactful for the type of policy that we're able to pass here in Washington state. Those are very important things that usually get less attention that need to be getting a whole lot more. [00:21:32] Rich Smith: That's right. [00:21:32] Crystal Fincher: I also want to talk about another bill that died. Even-year elections, which we have talked about, certainly in our conversation with Andrew Villeneuve from the Northwest Progressive Institute. They were instrumental in helping to write and shape that. Representative Mia Gregerson from the 33rd LD sponsored that in the House. It passed the House, got to the Senate. And what unfortunately happens to so many bills in the Senate, it died. What happened here? [00:22:03] Rich Smith: Well, based on the reporting from NPI, the bill was sent not to the Senate Governance Committee, but to the Ways and Means Committee where it quietly died. So another way that a bill can quietly die - because people can take executive action on it and vote on it, and it can die that way, certainly. But they can also just decide not to take it up in the committee and then die that way - then no one has to go on the record with who doesn't want more democracy, who doesn't want to give cities the opportunity to have more democratic elections in Washington. So yeah, that's my understanding - the Ways and Means Committee strikes again. They killed the bill by not taking it up in time. And now cities don't have the option to move their local elections to even years, which studies show and King County proves increases turnout. It's a loss for democracy. It's inexcusable. And Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and a number of power players came out against it - saying that it was going to be costly and there's other complications that election officials were going to encounter. But the state's Office of Financial Management - when sending it to the Ways and Means Committee - said that the bill had an indeterminate fiscal impact. In short, the state doesn't know what the fiscal impact would be. And I struggle to understand how holding fewer elections costs more money than holding an election every year does. But maybe initially with changing stuff around, maybe you have to buy more software or whatever. But yeah, I don't understand that math - haven't seen that math. But that was the political dynamic that killed the bill. [00:23:39] Crystal Fincher: An opportunity to improve our small-D democracy. Has failed to take advantage of the opportunity and basically assurance - we see what even-year elections versus odd-year election turnout is. Even-year elections routinely have turnout 20-plus percentage points higher than odd-year elections. It's always better to have more people weighing in on who represents them and how their community should be shaped. So again, disappointed to see this. And hopefully we can take this time, as we have elections throughout the state at the legislative level, that we press candidates on this, and see where they stand, and try and set this up for success next session. [00:24:26] Rich Smith: Yeah, it was interesting that they decided to send it to the Ways and Means Committee. So Jamie Pedersen - Seattle senator - is the Floor Leader. He decides which committees bills go to. So one question would be - why didn't this bill go to the Governance Committee, which is chaired by Sam Hunt, who's retiring this year? And then another question would be - what was the conversation in Ways about why they wouldn't pass the bill? And those would be two people to ask, in case you're interested in contacting your representative about why the bill died or you want to add your support. [00:24:55] Crystal Fincher: Yep, absolutely. Now we will turn to local politics and policy in the City of Seattle. This week, we saw a different approach from the Seattle City Council in dealing with protests. And coverage, even in The Seattle Times, noted that protest has been a normal, consistent part of public meetings in Seattle for most of the last decade, for decades before that, and beyond. Seattle, as a city, has such a long and storied history of protests in favor of change - and successfully creating change also, by the way. And this is happening while other councils across the state, from Spokane to Tacoma, are dealing with largely the same things - have managed to de-escalate these situations, have managed to listen to people in their community who are passionately advocating for issues - many of which are crisis levels within communities. But in the city of Seattle, we saw insults from the Council perspective and calls for arrest, which did result in several people getting arrested for protesting. What happened? [00:26:18] Rich Smith: Yeah, so the council met to pass a resolution to rename a street after George Fleming, who was a Black state senator. Sidebar, nerd thing - not a big deal, but worth noting. The resolution called George Fleming the first Black person elected to the State Senate, but he was actually the second or third, kind of depending on how you want to slice it. The first Black person was bi-racial - William Owen Bush was elected to the House of Representatives in 1889. He wasn't a senator - okay, fine. But the first Black senator was elected in 1921 - that's John H. Ryan, out of Tacoma. And so George Fleming would be the second Black senator. Minor note. But they basically framed the protesters as interrupting this resolution that was supposed to honor a Black pioneer in Washington politics, but not getting his achievement correct is not particularly honoring him either. So I see it as a little bit disingenuous. But in terms of the facts of what happened, they were going to do this resolution. 20 people showed up during public comment to advocate for the refugees who are in crisis now in Tukwila - in a church parking lot, basically - they don't have anywhere to sleep. The shelter is unstable. And they wanted to say that maybe spending a little bit less money on police would give us more money to help these disadvantaged communities. That was the people's agenda that day, even if it was slightly different than the City Council's agenda. So knowing that, Sara Nelson, Council President, decided to comment by 20 minutes rather than giving them an hour to say their piece. And the people continued to want to talk after 20 minutes and so decided that they were going to stay right there and protest until she made public comment longer. She did not. They called for security. They told people to leave. Some people left. Six people did not leave. The six people who stayed were arrested for trespass and sent to jail. And the people who left were banging on the window outside of the chambers and chanting - Shame, shame, shame. At which point, Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore, who's a former judge, said that she felt as if her life was threatened and demanded the police to arrest those people outside of the chamber who were banging on windows. Everybody made a big stink. And I think another councilmember - I can't remember which one - also said that she felt threatened by the mob out there who was interrupting this moment of democracy. As you said, protests in City Hall - that's the job. We tried to tell people that this slate of City councilmembers did not know what they were talking about, had very little understanding of the normal workings of City politics, and of the City in general. And this is just another way to show that they didn't read the job description. You gotta listen to the people when they talk. First of all, because they will stop talking and chanting when they feel like they've said their piece. And so it's just better for democracy to hear their voice. You all ran on listening to community. And one of your first major operations as a council is to sic the police on the community who is voicing their dissent in Council chambers where we have voiced our dissent forever? That's not listening to community. That's saying you listen to some community and you'll use state violence to shut down other members of the community. So that's what happened. And it was inexcusable and dumb - at the same time. [00:30:05] Crystal Fincher: Strategically, it does not seem like that was a wise decision. This isn't even a progressive versus conservative issue on why this was just really poor decision making. That's why you see councils across the state - and country, really, but certainly across the state - not resorting to arresting people for protesting. All that does is escalate issues and create more passion around issues that is going to manifest itself during your meetings. I will say a lot of councils have been struggling with how to better deal with and manage dissent. The reason why I am more familiar with what councils are doing across the state is because of that reason - it's something that a number of people are looking to figure out and respond to, particularly because there have been actual threats of violence - actual threats made during meetings, people carrying guns into meetings - that is happening as well as not even commenting on stuff. Insults, threats coming to people in meetings. Racist, sexist attacks we've seen across the state. So there have been efforts from a variety of councils to implement rules to be able to get through their agendas while enabling people to express their First Amendment rights and make their voices heard to their public representatives. That has not included calling for arrest. That has not included saying that people chanting - maybe in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or that you disagree with - is threatening to your safety. And that particular thing sounds real familiar to a lot of people in my position and a lot of different positions - and if you know, you know - that conflation of, I am uncomfortable, I don't agree with this, to - I am being physically threatened, my safety is in danger. Those are two very different things, and the conflation of them is something that is a very cynical and harmful thing to resort to that I hope we don't see much more of. I hope they take this opportunity to really explore what it does mean to hear from people who do and don't disagree with you. And I hope they do that quickly because they are going to put the City in a position where they're going to face legal scrutiny, where there are going to be lawsuits that are going to cost the City a lot of money if they continue down this path. So we'll see how this materializes, but certainly this is not the best start to this council that they could have. [00:32:43] Rich Smith: Hear, Hear. There was a moment when Abolish ICE protests were particularly salient and the Council was having a meeting. Abolish ICE protests came in - disrupted the meeting. Immediately, Kshama Sawant stands up with her fist in the air. Teresa Mosqueda starts clapping from her seat. Other progressive members of the council are nodding and listening. Bruce Harrell was the Council President at that time - immediately calls for security to get people out of there. And eventually - they chanted, they stayed a little bit, and eventually they left, and the meeting got brought to order. This is a normal course of events in City Council chambers. And them making a big stink of this is them being politically opportunistic - trying to gain civility politics points with their base. And as you said, it may open them up to liability and it's just unwise. And I agree - I hope they take this opportunity to do a little research on the positions that they have, and on the history of those positions, and how to de-escalate and manage dissent. [00:33:51] Crystal Fincher: Just a side note on that - those protesters were protesting in support of asylum seekers who are trying to secure a place to healthily stay. The county is taking action - it was announced this morning that the county actually authorized grants to organizations that will be assisting the asylum seekers, as well as funding that should secure a stay through June with an enhanced heated tent - better amenities, I guess, than they have now, or just better basic shelter than they have now. It certainly is a conundrum. That is a short-term solution, there needs to be a medium and long-term solution put together. It does look like the governor and the legislature have included allocations to help both migrants and asylum seekers overall, and specifically those in Tukwila - with it looks like $5 million to $8 million allocations is what is proposed. We will see what that turns out to be by the end of session next week. But it's a challenge. Interesting to see the differences in how the different jurisdictions have handled it. People do ask - Well, why would Seattle even be taking that up anyway? Because this is a regional problem and that's why they involved themselves in it before. So these were people returning to the body that had itself involved themselves in it - I think it was a month ago that they decided to take action to help extend stays in some hotels throughout cities in the county. [00:35:23] Rich Smith: By the way, it's the right thing to do. We should be bending over backwards to help these people seeking asylum in our sanctuary city. They want to work. They want to be members of society. And we should be doing everything we can to help ease that transition and help them. It's going to pay off in the long run, and it's morally indefensible not to help them in the short term. I don't know why they're throwing up their hands and saying - Oh gosh, go talk to the county, go talk to the state. We can't really do anything here. That's not particularly welcome in this Portal to the Pacific. And it speaks volumes about how they feel about immigrants, how they feel about people coming into the city, and who they think they're serving. [00:36:03] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and this feeds into the larger problem that we're having with not having enough housing or shelter for people overall. These are people who don't have it and what we have to contend with - people are like, Well, these are migrants. Other people just want to be homeless. They had the opportunity to get off the street. They could take advantage of shelter if they wanted to. The fact is, there are thousands fewer shelter and housing spaces available than there are people out on the street. We cannot offer housing or shelter to people currently on the street. There is nowhere near enough. Even if we offer shelter to three people, there are eight more standing next to them where it's just not possible. Until we build more, we're going to have this problem. It's going to get worse. It is on us as a society to fix that problem, so that we can move people off of the streets. It's not acceptable to anyone to have people languishing outside - it's unsafe, it's undesirable. These conversations about offers to do stuff are really irrelevant until there is enough space for everyone. Then you can talk about - Well, they decided not to. And then a conversation about penalties could potentially be appropriate then. But before that - how is it valid to talk about criminalization of being outside if there aren't enough spaces to bring people inside? This is what has always perplexed me. [00:37:36] Rich Smith: Yeah, the only way you can believe that is if you believe two things. One, every homeless person is a drug addict and a criminal on purpose because they like it. Two, we have enough space in the jails for all of these drug-addled criminals who just want to steal TVs all day. Neither thing is true. Most people on the street develop drug addictions as a way to cope with being on the street. It is not drug addictions that send them there to the first place, at least not the majority. And the jail - we do not have big jails. And when they go in there, we don't have enough staffing for the jails. And people think that people get treatment in the jails - they do not get adequate treatment in the jails. Staffing issues prevent them from getting the treatment they need. The treatment they need does not meet their needs because they get buprenorphine in lower doses - if you're on fentanyl, bup is not going to be enough to help you or to treat you in jail. And when you get out, you're going to have a higher risk of overdosing and dying. So people's misunderstanding of the criminal justice system leads them to believe these silly things. And I really wish they would read three articles before talking. [00:38:46] Crystal Fincher: And with that, we thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, March 1st, 2024. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host today is editor of The Stranger and noted poet, Rich Smith. You can find Rich on Twitter, @richsssmith, with three S's in the middle. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks. You can find me on all platforms - and soon, Hacks & Wonks on all platforms and a few new things going on - at officialhacksandwonks.com. If you like us, please leave a review - that is a very helpful thing. And be sure to subscribe for the full versions of our Friday week-in-review and the Tuesday topical show. You can always get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Does changing a job title mean better job performance?  CBP and Ways & Means seem to think so. Listen for more details on today's Two Minutes in Trade.  

We as Force Managers, use strategy to help Army Senior Leaders to make informed decisions on resources, capabilities, and risk. We as Force Managers have to be informed on current strategy and strategic direction from the National, Defense, Joint, and Army, and refer to those documents for the alignment of resources such as capabilities, budget, manning, stationing, et. Our efforts and approaches need to be nested within those strategic documents and guidance. First step: refer to the strategy. It all starts with the strategy.....For more on Dr. Meiser - please see below for links to his publications:https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters/vol46/iss4/9/https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol76/iss1/5/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: kicking America's multi-billion-dollar food waste habit. How tons of wasted food contribute to climate change, and how one simple change – better food date labels – just might help make a dent in the problem. This is the sixth episode in our “Climate Change Solutions” series, where we look at research-based ideas to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: Norbert Wilson, Director, Duke World Food Policy Center Roni Neff, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. Find out more about the Duke Climate Commitment.

Guest Congressman Ron Estes, 4th District Kansas, joins to discuss budget talks in Ways/Means committee with return of Congress. What will our budget talks look like? Discussion of Biden economy.  New COVID strain teases new COVID lockdowns, masks, and vaccines. Discussion of the "unfinished business" of Democrats. Are they looking at the phase 2 of socialism under a new pandemic emergency?

In this episode of Ways & Means – New research into how solar mini-grids could change lives for farmers in Ethiopia, and why that matters for the climate as a whole. This is the fifth episode in our Climate Change Solutions series, where we look at surprising answers to the question of what we can do to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: Jonathan Phillips, Director, James E. Rogers Energy Access Project at Duke University Rahel Bekele, Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, DREAM Project Team Member Marc Jeuland, faculty member at Duke Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke Global Health Institute, Principal investigator DREAM Project Resources, Credits, Transcript  Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. Find out more about the Duke Climate Commitment.

Upgrading stoves for people in the developing world could bring about a double win: improving people's lives while making a big contribution to fighting climate change. We follow along with Duke Professor Subhrendu Pattanayak on a research trip to rural Kenya, and are invited into people's homes to see how they cook, and what might make them change their methods. This is the fourth in our series Climate Change Solutions, a look at surprising answers to the question of what we can do to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guest:  Subhrendu Pattanayak, Oak Foundation Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Energy Policy, Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. Find out more about the Duke Climate Commitment.

We are thrilled to welcome Lauren Rosenthal to the Ways & Means host chair! Lauren is an award-winning reporter and audio producer. Recently she's been focused on climate stories. (Check out her work on Season 2 of "In Deep," a podcast from APM Reports + American Public Media which explored "one city's year of climate chaos.") Lauren will start by hosting the next episodes of our Climate Change Solutions series.

In this episode of Ways & Means, we explore the impacts of meat production. Can we find a better way to raise animals as food and help the planet at the same time? This is the third in our series Climate Change Solutions, a look at surprising answers to the question of what we can do to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests:  Cameron Oglesby, journalist and Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Master of Public Policy student North Carolina farmer Johnny Rogers Jennifer Curtis, Firsthand Foods Lee Miller and Michelle Nowlin, Duke's Environmental Law and Policy Clinic A-dae Romero-Briones, Native Agriculture and Food Systems program at First Nations Development Institute Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. Find out more about the Duke Climate Commitment.

Location, location, location. Place matters a lot when it comes to the impact solar panels can have on the environment. The biggest environmental benefit comes from regions powered by coal. If your local electric utility runs on coal and you install solar panels on your home, it means that the power plant doesn't have to burn as much coal to power your home, and that is really good for the climate. In this episode of Ways & Means: getting strategic when it comes to solar subsidies. This is the second episode in our series, Climate Change Solutions. Guests: Joe Opyoke, retired coal miner Elizabeth Opyoke Cruikshank, Solar Holler in West Virginia Bobby Harris, PhD Environmental Economics and Policy, Duke, '22 Steven Sexton, professor, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. Find out more about the Duke Climate Commitment.

The Amazon has been called the lungs of the planet. Its dense jungles play a key role in absorbing the Earth's greenhouse gases, but the forest is disappearing quickly. In this episode: research from Colombia, Africa and China illustrates how economics can help slow deforestation and combat the climate crisis. Guests: Lina Moros, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia Wumeng He, Wuhan University, China; Duke Kunshan University Alex Pfaff, Duke University This is the first in our series Climate Solutions. Find out more about the film Sonic Forest, including the song Let Me Breathe and the group Stand for Trees. Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University.

In WAYS & MEANS. Lincoln and his Cabinet and the Financing of the Civil War, author Roger Lowenstein not only spells out how each side in very different ways paid for the war, but reveals the largely untold story of how Lincoln used the urgency of the Civil War to transform a union of states into a nation. Through a financial lens, he explores how this second American revolution, led by Lincoln, his cabinet and a Congress studded with towering statesmen, changed the direction of the country and established a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. In our conversation he also describes the several ways that Mr. Putin in his invasion of Ukraine today are similar to what the Confederacy did more than 150 years ago. Lowenstein is the author of 7 books, Including "America's Bank" and "Origins of the Crash." He reported for The Wall Street Journal for more than a decade, and his work appears in numerous other financial publications. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/booktalk-diana-korte/message

Large technology companies are so powerful they now threaten democracy. They are too big to sue, and current regulations are not holding them responsible for their actions or outcomes. What can be done when a large tech company is doing something that is harmful to society? How can the technology companies that want to differentiate themselves demonstrate they are behaving responsibly? Well – this isn't the first time the U.S. has been faced with a large, runaway industry that needed effective government oversight. We'll look closely at the governance frameworks that are used for big banks, environmental polluters, drug companies to allow them to demonstrate responsible decision making. This episode is the third of a three-part series, Defending Democracy (and Us!) from Big Tech, a collaboration between Ways & Means and the Debugger podcast. The series is produced with support from the Cyber Policy Program at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics.

Very large tech companies fit into a special tech category called “platforms.” Companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Amazon are so big – it's like they are on a raised on a platform at a country fair, and can be heard all over the fairgrounds. The platform gives them an advantage; because they can be heard by more people, their technology can have a more impactful reach. These companies have a lot of money, and power. But what if society becomes convinced one of these tools is hurting kids, or failing democracy, or polluting the environment, or stealing? Since they are so big that even fines don't seem to scare them, what now? In this episode: we'll explore what's been tried to hold tech companies accountable. This episode is the second of a three-part series, Defending Democracy (and Us!) from Big Tech, a collaboration between Ways & Means and the Debugger podcast. The series is produced with support from the Cyber Policy Program at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics.

It's critical to understand just how hard it is to tell big tech companies what to do. The United States' legal system is set up for a fair fight, but in practice tech firms are often able to act as their own judge and jury. They control everything from what apps we see, to what data they collect about us to whether or not misinformation and hate speech circulate widely online. This episode is the first of a three-part series, Defending Democracy (and Us!) from Big Tech, a collaboration between Ways & Means and the Debugger podcast. The series is produced with support from the Cyber Policy Program at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics.

This is the 100th year anniversary of the 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange. Investors have been able to sell real estate held for rental, investment, or business use and defer the payment of Federal and most state taxes by reinvesting in other real estate also held for rental, investment, or business use for 100 years. Retirement account investors have been able to use their Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans to invest in non-traditional assets, often called “alternative investments” since 1974. This includes real estate and real estate related assets, including various regulated investment options that require the investor to be an “accredited investor.” Real estate related assets can include real estate, promissory notes secured by deeds of trust or mortgages, tax lien certificates, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and more. The “Build Back Better Act” (2021) continues to be advanced by the House Committee on Ways & Means, which may have a significant impact on your ability to use 1031 Exchanges, Self-Directed IRAs, and Individual 401(k) Plans. We're Unravel the Mystery of the Proposed Tax Policy Changes Affecting 1031 Exchanges, Self-Directed IRAs, and Individual 401(k) Plans. Email your 1031 Exchange, Self-Directed IRA, and/or Individual 401(k) Plan questions to ASK@exeterco.com and we'll address them in our next episode.

@RepRichardNeal, chair of @WaysMeansCmte, spoke with reporters after House Democrats met with @POTUS in private on Budget Reconciliation negotiations. .

Self-Directed Traditional IRAs have existed since 1974 when the Employee Retirement Income Security Acts of 1974 (“ERISA”) was enacted. Self-Directed Roth IRAs came later in 1997 when Senator William Roth introduced legislation to create the Roth IRA as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Retirement account investors have been able to use their Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans to invest in non-traditional assets, often called “alternative investments,” including various regulated investment options that require the investor to be an “accredited investor.” The “Build Back Better Act” has been advanced by the House Committee on Ways & Means, which will prevent retirement account investors from investing in these regulated non-traditional assets and require those who have already invested in these assets to divest themselves of these assets within two (2) years if the investments require the retirement account investor to be accredited, licensed, etc. Email your Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans questions to ASK@exeterco.com and we'll address them in our next episode.

A scoop on the Trump revenge front: Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt report that Donald Trump is set to endorse Wyoming attorney Harriet Hageman in her expected primary against GOP Rep. Liz Cheney. the former president's top target in his attempt to purge the Republican party of his fiercest critics. Caputo and Isenstadt call it “the most important political endorsement yet in Trump's post-presidency,” while noting that not too long ago Hageman was a staunch supporter of Cheney. As of Tuesday night, Hageman “still had a photo of the two of them together on [her] website.” And, on Tuesday, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, released a major batch of legislation that he wants stuffed in the Dems' $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, including proposals on family and medical leave, retirement, child care, trade, elder care, nursing and an expansion of Medicare to include dental, hearing and vision coverage. Progressives cheered. But in no time, a source close to the negotiations reached out to us to dampen the celebration on the left: “Neither the White House or Senate Dems approved the Ways & Means package released today. Negotiations are ongoing.” It is the latest example of a frequent complaint from House staffers: that Biden and his White House have a Senate bias. Raghu Manavalan is the host of POLITICO's Playbook. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Guest Congressman Ron Estes, 4th District Kansas, joins to discuss Ways/Means committee, budget, infrastructure, tax increases, attack on states rights, amnesty for illegal aliens, Afghanistan, and more. 

Host Leoneda Inge introduces listeners to The ARC of Justice, a special audio series from WUNC and the podcast Ways & Means, which examines the role of the U.S. government in creating the racial wealth gap between white and Black Americans. | Follow Leoneda on Twitter @leonedainge.

Hello and welcome to your one stop shop for daily enteryayment and everything dope right here on the #1 daily podcast out, The Matty Mo' Show! Today's epicast is one that is going to bring the heat to kick off your week! From the music to the vibes and the message, you'll be happy to add this show in the rotation for sure. Enjoy, share with a friend and don't forget to check out the latest blog up on mattymoshow.com as well baby! As always, thank you for tuning in and rocking out with me and make sure to check back in with me tomorrow night for another dope lil' episode. One

In this episode, Eric and Delegate Stephanie Smith talk HBCUs, Baltimore City priorities, the clear superiority of the House Ways and Means Committee, and where to find the best crab cakes in Baltimore.

SEG-1: Market Commentary: Housing Supply Shortage? Nah... SEG-2: What Happens When Stimulus Runs Out SEG-3: Ways & Means of Coming for Your Money SEG-4: Raising Taxes on "the Wealthy..." & everyone else -------- Chief Investment Strategist Lance Roberts w Senior Advisor, Danny Ratliff, CFP -------- Articles Mentioned in this podcast: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/technically-speaking-its-coming-a-huge-bond-buying-opportunity/ https://realinvestmentadvice.com/why-debt-to-income-ratios-are-worse-than-they-appear/ https://realinvestmentadvice.com/stimulus-no-stimulus-market-bounces-with-headlines-10-23-20/ -------- Candid Coffee 10/24/20 Encore Presentation: https://youtu.be/0SiYbLR3l8Y -------- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/newsletter/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to RIA Pro: https://riapro.net/home -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/

What makes a great political leader in a deeply divided time, and what can we learn from one of the most striking examples in history? Listen to the story of Nelson Mandela and learn about the surprising strategies that made his leadership work. This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis, the Center for Politics at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Find out more at polis.duke.edu

Today: a post-Ways & Means episode conversation with professor Kristin Goss about the rise of the gun control movement in America.  Goss's work was the topic of last week's Ways & Means episode: The Battle Over Guns in America: What's Changed. The host of Short Takes is Deondra Rose, Director of Research for Polis, the Center for Politics at Duke University. Music: Blue Dot Sessions, CC Attribution, Non-Commercial License

On this episode we ask – how did the gun control movement become a force in American politics after being overshadowed for so long by the NRA? In a word: money.  This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis: the Center for Politics at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy

Today: a post-Ways & Means episode conversation with John Holbein of the University of Virginia about how to get more young people to vote. Holbein's work, along with Duke faculty member Sunshine Hillygus, was the topic of last week's Ways & Means episode: Why Young People Don't Vote - And How to Change That Deondra Rose is Director of Research for Polis, the Center for Politics at Duke University. Music: Georgia Overdrive by Blue Dot Sessions, CC Attribution, Non-Commercial License

For some reason there's a big gap between young Americans' intention to vote and the chance that they will actually do it. In this episode: why so few young people in the United States vote. This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis: the Center for Politics at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy

https://vimeo.com/450540075 https://www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com/podcasts/2020/8/22/2020-08-24-the-week-of-the-two-letters   This week we look at: Qualified plan loan offset amount proposed regulations issued to deal with TCJA plan loan rollover provision US Chamber of Commerce and other organizations issue letter describing issues with payroll tax holiday Presidential memo IRS warns employees to wait to file Forms 941-X on second quarter 2020 941s until new form released in late September Chair of Ways & Means asks to IRS to pause sending notices that may relate to unopened payments and IRS complies two days later IRS begins accepting 2019 amended individual returns electronically Payments of interest on 2019 tax refunds are being paid out to taxpayers

This week we look at: Qualified plan loan offset amount proposed regulations issued to deal with TCJA plan loan rollover provision US Chamber of Commerce and other organizations issue letter describing issues with payroll tax holiday Presidential memo IRS warns employees to wait to file Forms 941-X on second quarter 2020 941s until new form released in late September Chair of Ways & Means asks to IRS to pause sending notices that may relate to unopened payments and IRS complies two days later IRS begins accepting 2019 amended individual returns electronically Payments of interest on 2019 tax refunds are being paid out to taxpayers Copyright Kaplan, Inc.

US Chamber of Commerce sends letter with issues on payroll tax holiday and Chair of Ways & Means asks IRS to slow down sending notices until the mail backlog is under control, and more.

Season 5 of Ways & Means relaunches Thursday, August 20, 2020. The season is dedicated to issues in U.S. politics and civic life and hot topics in the 2020 elections. The season originally premiered in the spring of 2020, but was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season is a co-production of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and Duke's Polis: Center for Politics. https://polis.duke.edu/   Music: "Pinky" by Blue Dot Sessions

We’ve decided to pause in releasing new Ways & Means episodes for now. With the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone’s attention is on the coronavirus and that’s as it should be.  So we’ve decided to take a break. We will be back this fall with the complete series of stories on ideas for sealing the cracks in our democracy. That series is in partnership with Polis, Duke’s Center for Politics. Until then, stay safe, stay apart and please wash your hands.

We explore research into how government-funded afterschool programs for poor families are empowering politically motivated parents. Hear from staff and parents about how these programs have inspired change in their community and learn what elements build effective programs. This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis: the Center for Politics at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy

A look at why local news is struggling -- and what can be done about it. This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis, the Center for Politics at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Find out more at polis.duke.edu

New to Ways and Means in Season 5: Short Takes. Short-form bonus interview content featuring the subjects of this season's episodes. Deondra Rose, Research Director for Polis, Duke University's Center for Politics, sits down with Prof. Sandy Darity for a continued discussion of reparations. Topics include the Reparations Planning Committee, the role of educational institutions in reparations policy, and arguments that make it hard for Sandy to stay professional.  This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis, the Center for Politics at Duke University. 

The question of whether and how to compensate descendants of people formerly enslaved in the United States has hung over the country since the end of the Civil War. It’s getting new traction in the 2020 election. Duke Professor William "Sandy" Darity has created a Reparations Planning Committee to flesh out the details of how a reparations program would work. This season of Ways & Means is supported by Polis: the Center for Politics at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Read the transcript. 

Season 5 of Ways & Means returns Wednesday February 19, 2020. This season we are partnering with Polis, the Center for Politics at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy to look at big ideas related to the 2020 election.

Climate change is affecting both nature and the economy. Who will take the hardest hit financially as the world heats up, and can anything be done about it? We meet a commercial clammer in Maine who is figuring out how to deal with the effect climate change is having on his industry. And environmental economist Billy Pizer has been calculating the future costs of climate change. Pizer is Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Subscribe to Ways & Means. Music: Theme music by David Schulman. “Softly Villainous", "Lakeside Path", "The Nocturne", "Fresno Alley", "Crumbling Dock", "An Oddly Formal Dance" by Blue Dot Sessions.  Music licensed under Creative Commons attribution.  Also "Khreshchatyk" and "Gaia in Fog" by Dan Bodan and "Fresno Alley" by Josh Lippi & The Overtimers, No Copyright Music/YouTube Free Music Library. Read the episode transcript. Special thanks to the Duke Sanford World Food Policy Center for their support. Their podcast is called The Leading Voices in Food.

Season 4 of Ways & Means returns Wednesday, February 20, 2019. We’re kicking off with a miniseries on climate change. We'll look at new research into what it takes to turn climate change skeptics into climate change believers. Also, how can cities can nudge commuters into doing the right thing for the climate? And we'll head to Nepal for a look at how to bring power to places in the developing world where the electric grid simply can’t go. It’s the Ways & Means miniseries featuring policy ideas to help in the fight against a changing climate.

  Aloha! Right, I didn’t plan on this Episode of Lowering The Tone being the Xmas show, Im just so late with it, that is just how it’s panned out :-) It's not a bad one even if I say so myself. This time round I have a very good friend of mine Kristian Townsend (Dubspeeka, Ways & Means, Akasha FX) over for a loose conversation, we ended up having a bit of a big night before, and I was really feeling it the day after, much to Kristian's amusement, as you will hear. The conversation touches upon everything from Kristian’s upbringing & living out a bus, to running a high influential record label, to the current success of his Dub Techno project Dubspeeka (along with Darren Beale from Kosheen). I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Kris, I hope that comes across in this 2hr show. Musicwise, I pretty much kick the sh*t out of it from start to finish :-) As always, if you would like to help out and show your support, please just share the link, rate & review if you listen via iTunes, and if you enjoy it please take a moment and make a comment, It means a lot to get some feedback. I hope you enjoy it. X Mark (Meat Katie)   For a track listing head over to www.patreon.com/loweringthetone and drop us a dollar to keep the show going.   Worldwide Bookings  Management :Nadia@loweringthetone.london   Bookings: Rachel@loudbydesign.co.uk  ____________________  Lowering The Tone is sponsored by Made Interactive, create a beautiful website at:  www.madeinteractive.comUse Promo code ‘LTT’

Season 4 of Ways & Means will be available in January.   (Music: Blue Dot Sessions)

What's On Tap: New Belgium, CBC Nashua and NH Legislation (Its better then it sounds)               Craft Beer Cellar Nashua: Website | Facebook |Twitter              New Belgium Brewing:  Website | Facebook |Twitter Bert's Better Beers' Draft Pick(s) of the Week:   I love Fat Tire!   1K                 Named in honor of our co-founder's bike trip through Europe, Fat Tire Amber Ale marks a turning point in the young electrical engineer's home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles. Together with co-founder Kim Jordan, they traveled around sampling their homebrews to the public. Fat Tire won fans with its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness. Fat Tire: Pairs well with people. New England's Tap House Grill's Ale Communications: http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-hazy-ipa-beer-20170313-story.html https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2017/03/14/bars-are-throwing-out-this-brand-of-beer-in-the-name-of-marriage/21885701/ http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/03/14/budweiser-explores-how-to-brew-beer-on-mars.html HB 99 - relative to beverage containers. Summary: Bill is designed to make the beer label approval process more streamlined My Analysis: The amendment seems to have removed the physical sample requirement (unless specifically asked for by liquor commission). It also makes it so in-state brewers do not require federal approval if only selling in-state. It, however, removed the clause originally in the bill that stated that federal label approval for out-of-state brewers was enough for NH. House result: Passed House on consent calendar- 3/8/2017. Next Step: Off to the Senate HB 161 - relative to beverage sales at farmers' markets. Summary: This bill requires beverage manufacturer licensees to pay the beer tax on beverages sold at farmers' markets. My Analysis: The legislators forgot to require the normal tax on these sales before, although brewers have been voluntarily paying tax anyways it seems. Next Step: Was referred to Ways & Means committee (guess it was in the wrong one originally), public hearing was 03/07/17. Next step unknown, but seems likely this will pass unopposed. HB 228 - relative to transportation of alcoholic beverages by a minor. Summary: This bill allows minors to transport alcoholic beverages in a vehicle or boat when accompanied by certain family members. My analysis: Adds stepparent, grandparent, or legal age sibling to parent, legal guardian, or legal age spouse for the law. Amendment makes age 25 of sibling. House Result: Passed by the House by a voice vote on 1/26/17. Next Step: Senate Judiciary committee hearing 03/14/2017, Room 100, SH, 09:15 am HB 549 - relative to beverage vendor fees. Summary: This bill modifies beverage vendor license fees My Analysis: This would create new fee structures for breweries from out of state wishing to get licensed to sell in NH. Sales numbers are in-state only. Amendment lowered the top tier from 25,000 to 15,000 The text of the new fees (previously fees were $720 for under 200 barrels and $1920 for all others): 1  Fees; Beverage Vendor License: (b)  Beverage vendor license, a fee representing the total per manufacturer assessments of: (1)  $100 for each manufacturer with sales of less than 10 barrels per year; (2)  $500 for each manufacturer with sales of 10-1,000 barrels per year; (3)  $5,000 for each manufacturer with sales of 1,001-50,000 barrels per year; (4)  $15,000 for each manufacturer with sales of more than 50,000 barrels per year; House result: Passed House on consent calendar- 3/8/2017. Next Step: Off to the Senate. HB 600 - relative to requirements for certain alcoholic beverage licenses. Summary: This bill eliminates restrictions on obtaining a liquor license and being employed by a licensee based on felony convictions and character. My Analysis: Pretty straightforward in the summary. House result:  Passed House on consent calendar- 3/8/2017. Next Step: Off to the Senate. HB 152 - relative to wholesale distributors of alcoholic beverages. Summary: This bill clarifies direct shipper laws as they relate to shipments of beer. My Analysis: An amendment has taken the teeth out of this one and it really no longer applies to direct shipping. Now it adds a mandate to the wholesaler license that requires them to attempt to get beers that retailers are looking for. House result: Passed House on consent calendar- 03/08/2017 Next Step: Off to the Senate. HB 353 - relative to sales of beer in refillable containers. Summary: This bill authorizes the sale of beer in refillable containers and establishes a universal growler.. My Analysis: Would allow licensees (bars & restaurants) to fill growlers from taps for to go sales following certain rules. Amendment removes clause requiring amber glass and eases restrictions for on-premise to qualify as eligible, as well as removing mandatory training class. House result: Passed House by voice vote on 03/08/2017. Next Step: Off to the Senate HB 496 - increasing the beer tax. Summary: This bill increases the beer tax. My Analysis: Changes the tax per gallon collected by wholesalers (or nanos) on breweries from $0.30 to $0.50. House result: Inexpedient to legislate. Dead bill. HB 98 - relative to brewpub licenses. Summary: This bill authorizes brew pubs to manufacture alcoholic cider. Brew NH Cork Board: THS Takeover 4/11 Hop Talks 4/2 Nh craft beer week April brewer great north Book club henniker Jukebox: Greenpoint Spill: Isabell Leave us a rating and review on iTunes or Stitcher!

Here's a peek at Ways & Means season 2, which launches this fall.

On this episode of Ways & Means we hear from the Daily Show’s resident fact-checker Adam Chodikoff. Also, Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Adair and a new movement of reporters going to great lengths to ensure we the people know the truth, especially when it comes to politics. We’ve got Republicans, Democrats and an upstart fact-checker from Iran, a country that has jailed numerous reporters.

On This Episode : Parnell Delcham, Darren Kavinoky & David Michail Have you ever wanted to start a restaurant but don't know where to begin? Leading the team behind Ways & Means is Parnell Delcham, president of UCA, having previously captained Domaine Restaurant Group, Straits Restaurant Group, Nice Ventures, and China Grill Management in opening acclaimed concepts that include 25 Degrees, Public Kitchen & Bar, and Asia De Cuba. Parnell gives our listeners invaluable advice and tips regarding the culinary world, and gives you the secrets to his incredible success.Darren Kavinoky is a criminal behavior expert, trial lawyer, TV analyst, author, and keynote speaker, we can truly say that he is an extremely accomplished man amongst all trades.Darren is known as an award-winning criminal defense attorney. The American Trial Lawyers Association has named him one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California” each and every year since 2007. Los Angeles magazine identified Darren as a “SuperLawyer” in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Darren received an “AV Preeminent Rating” by Martindale-Hubbell (a peer review ranking that signals the highest level of professional excellence and ethics); a perfect 10.0 Rating by Avvo.com (an independent attorney ranking site), and many other accolades. Darren has authored two legal textbooks for major legal publishers in the field of criminal law.And finally David Michail calls in to give our listeners advice a tips on all things legal in the business world!