Oregon is one of the nation’s top destinations for data centers, attracted by the state’s cheap power and favorable climate. Despite the state being an ideal location for data centers, Oregon and communities like Hillsboro in Washington County have been doling out massive tax subsidies to the corporate owners of data centers. That has been a very foolish thing to do, says Dirk Knudsen, a real estate broker and editor of the Hillsboro Herald. Dirk has followed closely the rise of data centers in Hillsboro. In this episode of Policy for the People, Dirk shares what he’s learned about the data center boom.

Oregon's subsidized child care program, Employment Related Day Care (ERDC), is on course to run out of money in less than a year. If that happens, thousands of families would lose child care, and with that, the ability of parents to work. That would be catastrophic for families and the state, explain our two guests: Marchel Kaleikini and Ivy Major-McDowall of For All Families Oregon.

Marchel and Ivy discuss the state of child care in Oregon, why ERDC is such a vital program, and what the Oregon legislature needs to do to ensure families don't lose child care.

As the number of elderly Oregonians surpasses the number of children, demand for long-term care is rising. But the workers who provide this essential care are underpaid, overworked, and leaving the industry at alarming rates.

Melissa Unger, Executive Director of SEIU Local 503, which represents tens of thousands of long-term care workers across Oregon, describes the physically and emotionally demanding nature of care work, the low wages and poor benefits many workers face, and the devastating impact of high turnover on both workers and the seniors and people with disabilities they care for.

The episode also explores a potential policy solution: workforce standards boards. David Madland of the Center for American Progress explains how these boards work, where they’ve already been implemented, and how they could help stabilize Oregon’s long-term care workforce.