In the first episode of Season 4 of YTWL hosts River Scholl and Ellen Quale are joined by guest host Maria Picar to discuss the campaign to raise the federal minimum wage and the positives and negatives of expanding America's biggest rental assistance program — Section 8.

Below are some of the pros and cons for raising the federal minimum wage:

Pros:
Raising the minimum wage would increase economic activity and spur job growth.
The Economic Policy Institute stated that a minimum wage increase from the current rate of $7.25 an hour to $10.10 would inject $22.1 billion net into the economy and create about 85,000 new jobs over a three-year phase-in period.

Increasing the minimum wage would reduce poverty.
According to a 2014 Congressional Budget Office report, increasing the minimum wage to $9 would lift 300,000 people out of poverty, and an increase to $10.10 would lift 900,000 people out of poverty.

A higher minimum wage would reduce government welfare spending.
If low-income workers earned more money, their dependence on, and eligibility for, government benefits would decrease. The Center for American Progress reported in 2014 that raising the federal minimum wage by 6% to $10.10 would reduce spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) by 6% or $4.6 billion.

Cons:
Increasing the minimum wage would force businesses to lay off employees and raise unemployment levels.
The Congressional Budget Office projected that a minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $10.10 would result in a loss of 500,000 jobs. [5] In a survey of 1,213 businesses and human resources professionals, 38% of employers who currently pay minimum wage said they would lay off some employees if the minimum wage was raised to $10.10. 54% said they would decrease hiring levels.

Raising the minimum wage would increase poverty.
A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that although low-income workers see wage increases when the minimum wage is raised, “their hours and employment decline, and the combined effect of these changes is a decline in earned income… minimum wages increase the proportion of families that are poor or near-poor.” [47] As explained by George Reisman, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pepperdine University, “The higher wages are, the higher costs of production are. The higher costs of production are, the higher prices are. The higher prices are, the smaller the quantities of goods and services demanded and the number of workers employed in producing them."

A minimum wage increase would hurt businesses and force companies to close.
60% of small-business owners say that raising the minimum wage will “hurt most small-business owners,” according to a 2013 Gallup poll.

Source ProCon.org

In this two part episode of YTWL host River Scholl, speaks with Gandhi Scholar Michael Sonnleitner about his 2020 trip to India and the Indian's government's response to COVID -19.

This time last year, theories about India’s astonishingly low rates of COVID-19 infection included hot weather, natural immunity and the country’s high proportion of young people; some also attributed it to the country’s harsh lockdown. India was doing so well that in megacities like Mumbai and Delhi, officials had begun dismantling temporary COVID-19 facilities.

Fast-forward to now, April 2021, and cases and deaths are soaring, leaving hospitals running out of oxygen. The shortage of beds and space is so acute that people are dying in car parks waiting to be admitted. Daily rates are currently over 300,000, the world’s highest-ever daily infection rate. - gavi.org
 

COVID-19 has brought the entertainment industry to its knees and artists of all stripes are struggling  just like the rest of us . Join us for our series An Artist's Tale as we talk to creatives of every stripe about their lives and work during the pandemic.

Hauk has a tradition for defying convention and limitation. His songs are too country for metal, too heavy for country, too punk for folk, too folk for punk, and always in your face. Hauk has released 10 solo albums, two albums with Black Hat Society, an album with The Pirates Charles. He has also produced bands like No Convention, Margot Lane and the Greybirds, Post Relic, and more. He has also scored two feature films and many short films
including the award winning “Pirate Captain Toledano.”

Join our hosts River Scholl and Emily Metcalfe as they talk with Hauk in a wide ranging interview about his experiences as an artist during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

And some disclaimer stuff: 
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

Sommer Martin is a filmmaker and voice actor based in Portland, Oregon.  Her favorite genre to write is horror and with a background in fundraising, communications and theatre Martin will be launching her own production company specializing in hiring BIPoc crew and talent later this year.  

Join our hosts River Scholl and Ellen Quale as they talk with Martin in a wide ranging interview about her experiences as a woman of color in the movie industry. 

And some disclaimer stuff: 
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

You Talk It. We Live It host Ellen Quale talks with Amalgamated Transit Union 757 (ATU 757)  President Shirley Block about the ATU's work during the pandemic and their fight for fair pay and benefits, a safe, secure working environment and democracy in the workplace.

ATU 757 organizes public transit workers in Oregon and Southern Washington.

Here are 5 interesting facts about unions:

• Union members earn better wages and benefits than workers who aren’t union members. On average, union workers’ wages are 19% higher than their nonunion counterparts.
• More than 75% of union workers have jobs that provide health insurance benefits, but less than half of nonunion workers do.
• Unions help bring more working people into the middle class. In fact, in states where people don’t have union rights, workers’ incomes are lower.
• Working people in a union are five times more likely to participate in an employer-provided pension plan than working people without a union.
• Unions help employers create a more stable, productive workforce—where workers have a say in improving their jobs.

Source AFL-CIO

And some disclaimer stuff: 
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

COVID-19 has brought the entertainment industry to its knees and artists of all stripes are struggling  just like the rest of us but really how are they doing? What is life like now for the working musician?   

Join our hosts Ellen Quale,  Emily Metcalfe and River Scholl as they talk with artist and musician Dulcie Taylor about the trials of creating during a pandemic.

Dulcie learned a hard music lesson at an early age – don’t leave your ukulele unattended in a porch chair at the beach. Some clueless teenager can sit on it and smash it to bits.

The demise of her ukulele was a tough moment for ten-year-old Dulcie but that Christmas her Mother bought her a guitar and Taylor’s lifelong love of singing and songwriting began. In hindsight, a grown-up Taylor sees the smashed ukulele as something of a blessing in disguise…after all, she has shared the stage with a long and impressive list of artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Asleep at the Wheel, Guy Clark, John Gorka, and Kathy Mattea. - source dulcietaylor.com

And some disclaimer stuff: 
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

In this first episode of Season Three of  You Talk It. We Live It hosts Ellen Quale,  Emily Metcalfe and River Scholl talk with camera operator and producer Donna Quante about her experiences in the film and television industry.  
Quante, an Emmy award winning camera operator and producer took home an Emmy three times for Benson, Golden Girls and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 

Here are some interesting facts to digest.

2019-2020 SEASON

• Overall, women accounted for 31% of individuals working in key behind-the-scenes positions.
• Women comprised 30% of all creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and directors of photography on broadcast programs, 31% on cable programs, and 35% on streaming programs.
• 63% of programs employed 5 or fewer women in the behind-the-scenes roles considered. 16% of programs employed 5 or fewer men.
• Overall, women fared best as producers (39%), followed by writers (36%), executive producers (32%), directors (30%), creators (28%), editors (17%), and directors of photography (8%).
• 94% of the programs considered had no women directors of photography, 81% had no women editors, 76% had no women directors, and 73% had no women creators.
• Women accounted for 28% of creators. This represents a historic high.
• Programs with at least 1 woman creator employed substantially greater percentages of women in other key behind-the-scenes roles and featured more female characters than programs with exclusively male creators. For example, on programs with at least 1 woman creator, women accounted for 69% of writers versus 20% on programs with no women creators.
• Programs with at least 1 woman executive producer featured more female protagonists, and more women in other key behind-the-scenes positions, than programs with exclusively male executive producers. For example, on programs with at least 1 woman executive producer, women accounted for 39% of writers. On programs with exclusively male executive producers, women comprised 12% of writers.

Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film

 And some disclaimer stuff: 

No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

In this special episode of You Talk It. We Live It hosts, progressive River Scholl and conservative Ellen Quale,  discuss the recent events in Washington, D.C,.

And don't forget to join us on January 15th for our first official episode of Season 3!

Some disclaimer stuff: 
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

Hello my friends!

Welcome, to this very special bonus Christmas episode of YTWL!

On this episode, two of our non-Christian hosts River Scholl and Ellen Quale, share the traditions and celebrations of their faiths as well as deeply personal thoughts and memories of Christmas' past; and one of our most passionate listeners Stormy Berks joins us to talk about Yule traditions!

It's been a hard year for us here at YTWL as it has been for most of you. Many of us have lost family members, friends and coworkers to COVID-19 and the pandemic is still taking its toll but WE DID get through it and we will, again, next year —together.

From our families to yours—we wish all of you a happy holiday season and we look forward to you joining us in 2021 for Season Three of YTWL!

Our next episode drops on January 15th, 2021!

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Disclaimer:
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes. 
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever.

You Talk It. We Live It host River Scholl talks with Journalist and Broadcaster Ryan Broome about COVID-19's impact on the Caribbean island of Barbados and the nation's efforts to combat the pandemic.

Here are five interesting facts about Barbados:

1. The name Barbados was chosen by a Portuguese explorer called Pedro a Campos. When he landed in Barbados, the island was covered in fig trees which have a beard like appearance and hence named the island "Los Barbados" which means The Bearded One!
2. 32% of the country is agricultural land and the island was once covered in dense rainforest. Some of which can still be found in parishes located in the centre of the island.  
3. Barbados was a British Colony for over 300 years and gained its independence in 1966. In 2021, the country plans to sever all remaining ties with Britain to become a full fledged republic!
4. Barbados has over 3000 hours of sunshine each year. The hottest month recorded was in April and the coolest in January.
5. In 2016, the World Economic Forum ranked Barbados' educational system 9th best in the world. 

Disclaimer:
No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.  The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes.
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our work places. However, we do welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.