Up for Debate: The Portland Clean Energy Initiative
Measure 26-201 would impose a 1% gross receipts tax on certain large retailers to fund renewable energy and energy conservation projects, job training for economically disadvantaged and traditionally under-employed workers, and local agriculture. It's a pretty big deal, and this is your chance to hear from both sides. Is this tax progressive or regressive? Is it fair to large companies? Is this the best way to fight climate disruption and help low-income people? Even if it's not, is it worth doing anyway? And what does "local agriculture" really mean?
Join us as supporters and opponents of Measure 26-201 (Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Initiative) debate the pros and cons of the measure.
Yes on Measure 26-201
Tony DeFalco is Executive Director at Verde, a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit working to build environmental wealth in low-income communities. His expertise in community economic development, environmental protection, and sustainability spans 20 years of working locally and nationally in environmental advocacy, coalition building, and policy advocacy. Current efforts include redevelopment of a 25-acre landfill into Cully Park; leading Living Cully, a collaborative anti-displacement effort designed to reinterpret sustainability as an anti-poverty strategy; and operation of commercial landscaping and general contractor social enterprises.
He is a founding board member of the Center for Diversity and the Environment and serves as a trustee of Earthjustice. He also serves on the Port of Portland’s Citizen Advisory Committee and the Portland Development Commission’s Neighborhood Economic Development Council.
Tony holds a master’s degree in Natural Resources Planning from Humboldt State University and a bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Tony is an avid birdwatcher and leads Feathers of Color, a birding group for people of color. He lives in Portland with his partner Molly.
Jenny Lee leads the advocacy program at the Coalition of Communities of Color, a cross-cultural alliance of culturally specific organizations taking collective action for racial justice. Originally from Beaverton, Jenny has been dedicated to racial, social, and economic justice throughout her career. Prior to her role at CCC, she was the Housing Policy Director at Neighborhood Partnerships, where she helped convene the Oregon Housing Alliance. She spent four years away from Oregon as the Public Policy Director for Hawai‘i Appleseed, where she engaged in coalition building, legislative advocacy, litigation, and policy research on a range of economic justice issues, including housing, homelessness, public assistance, anti-hunger programs, and immigrant rights. Her previous background includes work in disability rights, domestic violence, and mediation, as well as a year serving as an AmeriCorps member at a SUN School in Southeast Portland.
Jenny holds a B.A summa cum laude in philosophy, French, and political science from the University of Oregon and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
No on Measure 26-201
Andrew Hoan became the president and CEO of the Portland Business Alliance on June 18, 2018.
Prior to joining the Alliance, Andrew was president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Before his tenure at the Brooklyn Chamber, he served in the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President where he directed capital spending and economic development policy. Andrew moved to New York through participation in a national service year as an AmeriCorps VISTA, helping indigent New Yorkers seek free civil legal help, and went on to develop corporate programming for the largest provider of homeless services in New York City, Volunteers of America.
Andrew was an appointee to several agencies and authorities throughout his career, and volunteered on the boards of Dancewave, Bed Stuy Campaign Against Hunger and the Brooklyn Boulders Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Wisconsin and a masters in urban planning from New York University.
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, his wife, Karina, is a doctor at Portland Clinic and they live with their son, Theo, in Northwest Portland.
Eric Fruits, Ph.D. is President of Economics International Corp., a consulting firm specializing in economics, finance, and statistics. He is also an adjunct professor of business and economics at Portland State University and has served on the City Club’s Research Board. His economic analysis has been published in top-tier academic journals as well as The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Dr. Fruits has been invited to provide analysis to the Oregon legislature regarding the state’s tax and spending policies. His testimony regarding the economics of Oregon public employee pension reforms was heard by a special session of the Oregon Supreme Court.
Moderator
Roberta Phillip-Robbins, J.D. is chair of the Oregon Council on Civil Rights and board chair of Metropolitan Public Defender. She has served as a public school science teacher, policy advisor in local government, and as executive director of a philanthropic foundation. She is Founder and CEO of Green Conscience Collective, an effort by the cannabis industry to redress the harm to communities caused by the historical criminalization of cannabis. Roberta lives in NE Portland with hubby and 6-year-old daughter.