It’s the end of the world as we know it. And maybe that is a good thing.

I am a policy wonk. It is simply intrinsic to who I am. And right now the policy issue foremost in my mind is inequity in education. I believe that the COVID19 crisis has offered us an incredible opportunity to rethink how we educate kids. This is an almost incomprehensible rare opportunity to start from… Continue reading It’s the end of the world as we know it. And maybe that is a good thing.

What’s this now?

I first encountered the idea of a commonplace book shortly after college when I encountered E.M. Forster’s Commonplace book in a meander through the library. I was unfamiliar with the concept of commonplace books, and as this was before the interwebs, it took some digging to understand what I was looking at.  I have a bunch of… Continue reading What’s this now?

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Categorized as Blatherings

I can see clearly now, can you?

I spent this past weekend at Transparency Camp West, at the Google campus in Mountain View, CA.  I went expecting to be surrounded by my fellow policy wonks, but surprisingly they didn’t make up the bulk of attendees.  Most of the folks in attendance seemed to be developers looking to market their web applications.  There… Continue reading I can see clearly now, can you?

Real Costs and Responsibilities

Every time we have to choose between options, we face a decision-making point between immediate gratification and long-term consequences.  For example, buying the cheaper printer with the more expensive ink cartridges or eating that treat that you know will add bulges to where you want them least.   There is a dedicated part of our brain… Continue reading Real Costs and Responsibilities

You make me so proud!

Today the Portland Development Commission (PDC) brought their Economic Development Strategy to City Council for approval. That simple sentence does not reflect how important an accomplishment this was. This is the first economic development strategy the City has had for the past 15 years. This is the first time I have seen Council really walk… Continue reading You make me so proud!

Visibility Matters

One of the many reasons I love Portland so much is the accessibility of our City government.  Over the past decade or so, with very few exceptions, I have been able to meet with City Commissioners to discuss issues of public policy.  And when I talk about accessibility, I am talking about me as an… Continue reading Visibility Matters

It’s Either This or Rockband

We all deal with stress in our own ways.  Some people jog, some people play games, some people watch movies and then there is me.  I am managing my stress level by reading about public policy.  If you think about it, reading public policy to relax makes a certain amount of sense.  You start with… Continue reading It’s Either This or Rockband

The Little Engine That Might

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I have significant issues with corporate executives’ ignorance of the implications of their actions on their employees and communities they serve.  My patience is shortest with the financial institutions whose greed led to the collapse of the worldwide economy.  I still wax poetic about the days when… Continue reading The Little Engine That Might

Wonk meets Geeks

This week, as part  of his “100 businesses in 100 days” effort, Mayor Sam Adams wandered into the Wonderful World of Geeks when he met with Portland’s open source tech community to discuss his economic development strategy.  A diverse group of folks, including:  Rick Turoczy, Raven Zachary, Audrey Eschright, Scott Kveton, J-P Voillique, David Kominsky,… Continue reading Wonk meets Geeks