July 30th 2015

FEATURING:

Daniel Hong, junior of political science at Reed College and student organizer with Strike Debt Portland, a local chapter of the national Occupy offshoot Strike Debt, speaking about the student debt strike movement.  The national group, along with The Debt Collective, took up the cause of former students of the for-profit network Corinthian Colleges who stopped paying their student debt in protest earlier this year.  Corinthian Colleges were accused of predatory lending practices and fabricating job placement statistics; following investigation and legal action by the federal government they eventually declared bankruptcy in May.  Student debt strikers contend that the loans they're refusing to pay are unethical and, furthermore, illegal.  As student debt balloons to over $1.2 trillion, and the Class of 2015 graduating with the most student debt in US history, regional student groups in Portland and across the country are organizing around issues of debt resistance.

AND:

Genevieve Martin, executive director of the newly launched Dave's Killer Bread Foundation, on their work around expanding employment opportunities for people with criminal backgrounds.  The Portland-area company's co-founder, Dave Dahl, was formerly incarcerated before being given a job at the family bakery when he left prison; his story is well-known and is printed on Dave's Killer Bread packaging.  In that tradition, Dave's Killer Bread has embraced hiring people with criminal backgrounds, with over 1/3rd of their 300+ person staff consisting of formerly incarcerated people.  Their foundation, launched Wednesday, aims to connect with other companies who are interested in hiring people with criminal records and to encourage the expansion of employment opportunities not just at Dave's, but throughout the business community.  The issue was at the heart of recent debate on Portland and statewide Ban the Box reforms, which removed questions about criminal history from job applications.  Advocates say employment barriers faced by those re-entering society lead to economic instability and a higher likelihood of recidivism.