Patricia Kullberg hosts this episode of the Old Mole, which includes the following segments:
Zero Fare: While other cities, like Kansas City and Olympia, have abolished fares on public transport, TriMet is poised to approve a substantial fare hike in the Portland metro area. Patricia Kullberg talks with economist Mary King and OPAL Enviornmental Justice organizer Ellie Gluhosky about the many community benefits of zero-fare policies and how implementing free public transport is surprisingly feasible.
Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned: Walter Mosley is much more than a successful mystery writer. He will be remembered by most readers as the creator of the Easy Rawlins mysteries, but in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, he shows that he is an astute social critic. His lead character, Socrates Fortlow, has served a twenty-seven year prison sentence for murder and rape, but now he has a job and like his Greek namesake, has a become a gadfly who attaches himself to the flanks of the state, questioning and probing as he seeks his own redemption. Book Mole Larry Bowlden recommends the novel as the perfect read for Black History Month.
Civil Rights: Over time it’s become clear some in the Black community have done much better than others, and some, probably most, have experienced decline in their life opportunities and standards of living. In the Mole’s ongoing analysis of racial politics in the US, Bill Resnick interviews Malik Miah who made his living as a unionized airline mechanic and began writing on labor, working class, Black, and U.S. politics. He’s collaborated on 3 books and now, a full time writer and activist, he publishes in a number of magazines and websites.
- KBOO