Policy Chats

In this episode, San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Bob Page talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about secure, safe, and efficient voting options in this upcoming election. About Bob Page: Mr. Page is responsible for all aspects of the election process for the county’s residents.  He administers all local, state, and federal elections in the County of San Bernardino, including the management of voting systems, the employment and training of poll workers, election ballot processing, and vote tallying. Learn more about Bob Page via https://www.sbcounty.gov/Main/Pages/DepartmentServices.aspx?ContactID=59 Podcast Highlights: “ Well I would say that in this election we are seeing a number of states expanding the ability of their voters to vote by mail.” -       Bob Page on the topic of the expansion of mail-in ballots due to COVID-19. “ [The County does] prepay the postage on return envelopes... we have a number of early vote sites and polling places... a number of mail ballot drop boxes, and finally, if somebody wants to vote in person that's still available.” -       Bob Page on the topic of the various options voters have when choosing how to submit their ballot. “ I would advise not to wait until November 3rd to actually put [your ballot] in the mail.” -       Bob Page on the topic of voting early to ensure that your vote is counted. Guest: Bob Page (San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters) Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Alfredo Barcenas (UCR MPP Candidate, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: https://bit.ly/spp-harnik-pc https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Cesunica Ivey talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about environmental racism. About Cesunica Ivey: Cesunica Ivey has a background in mathematics, civil engineering, and environmental engineering, and she received her Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2016. Her research interests include source apportionment of fine particulate matter, regional air quality modeling for health applications, global atmospheric modeling, and environmental justice. Learn more about Cesunica Ivey via https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/cesunica Podcast Highlights: “Environmental justice impacts are multidimensional and they have long-term health and socioeconomic consequences simply because you grew up in an environment in a hazardous neighborhood.” -       Cesunica Ivey on the topic of why your environment impacts not only your economic status, but also your health. “GIS enabled us to visualize and geolocate hundreds of thousands of measurements...” -       Cesunica Ivey on the topic of Geographic Information System Mapping aiding environmental justice research. “Much of the Inland Empire is at risk for disproportionate environmental hazards because the land is cheap and it is plentiful compared to that in the coastal communities. This is very attractive to industrial developers, particularly Amazon.” -       Cesunica Ivey on the topic of the presence of warehousing in Southern California, and specifically Riverside and San Bernardino County. Guest: Cesunia Ivey (Assistant Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering) Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Paola Loera (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. Commercial Links: https://bit.ly/spp-harnik-pc https://spp.ucr.edu https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp

In this episode, public policy student Sana Jaffery, real estate lawyer Scott Talkov, and Fair Housing of Riverside County program manager Nathan Cieszynski talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about options and resources for students who wish to terminate their leases due to COVID-19. About Sana Jaffery: Sana Jaffery recently found herself facing a housing issue, only to find out hundreds of students dealing with the same crisis.  Jaffery had previously spoken about this issue  on NBC4 News. About Scott Talkov: Scott Talkov is a real estate, business and bankruptcy litigation lawyer in Riverside, California and former partner at one of the Inland Empire’s oldest law firms. Learn more about Scott Talkov via https://www.talkovlaw.com About Nathan Cieszynski: A HUD certified housing counselor, Nathan Cieszynski is a program manager and counselor at the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County. Learn more about Nathan Cieszynski via https://fairhousing.net Podcast Highlights: “The landlord wants your money. You already have your money. So every time you pay them, the landlord has won." -       Scott Talkov on the topic of understanding your position of power as a tenant. “The city of Riverside has a program for rent relief and what it's set up to do is, is to bring you current on your rent.” -       Nathan Cieszynski on the topic of utilizing government programs, if you would like to or must remain in your apartment lease. Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Genevieve Chacon (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 Commercial Link: bity.ly/uc-rent-el Resources: UC Riverside Legal Clinic Talkov Law 12 Tricks to Terminate a Student Lease at UCR due to Coronavirus Force Majeure Lease Termination Letter Template Fair Housing Council of Riverside County Rental Assistance Program FHCRC Phone Number: 1-951-682-6581 This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, Val Verde Unified School District Superintendent Mike McCormick talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the challenges school districts face as the academic school year begins and distanced learning continues. About Mike McCormick: Superintendent McCormick carries over 20 years of experience in the field of education. Beginning as a teacher at Home Gardens Elementary School, he became an Assistant Principal and Principal at both Vista Verde Middle School and Rancho Verde High School. Since 2015, he has served as Superintendent of Val Verde Unified School District.  Learn more about Mike McCormick and Val Verde Unified School District here. Podcast Highlights: “I see on our State Superintendent Advisory Council with Tony Thurmond, and was able to be one of the first school districts in the state to apply to receive hot spots from Google and T-Mobile." -       Mike McCormick on the topic of preparing to meet this moment, when students are dependent on technology, for nearly ten years.  “At the highest policy level, I was asked by our State Superintendent Tony Thurmond to be on his Schools Reopening Advisory Task Force... I was fortunate to have conversations as a result of that task force with the Governor's office, legislators, and so kind of the policy discussion at that level was how do we have some practices and procedures in place that are going to hold districts harmless, hold students harmless..." -       Mike McCormick on the topic of the statewide discussion on how to move forward with the school year, while keeping children and employees healthy and safe. "The research is telling us that three to four times is the rate that our Latinx and Black community members, students, and families are likely to contract COVID-19. And that was one of the guiding documents that helped really shine the light for us, and our Board ultimately made the decision that we're going to continue in full distanced learning...” -       Mike McCormick on the topic of how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected minority communities in the United States, including his own district. Guest: Mike McCormick (Superintendent of Val Verde Unified School District) Interviewer: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, City Attorney for Mill Valley and Fairfield, Greg Stepanicich talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about "police power" and the legality of the shutdown.  About Mr. Stepanicich:  Mr. Stepanicich is the City Attorney for Mill Valley and Fairfield. He previously served as the City Attorney for Agoura Hills, Beverly Hills, and Seal Beach. He joined the law firm of Richard Watson Gershon in 1977 and opened up the firm's San Francisco office in 1998. Mr. Stepanicich is also a UCR School of Public Policy Advisory Board member.   Learn more about Mr. Stepanicich via the City of Fairfield and the City of Mill Valley.  Podcast Highlights:  “I think there is no doubt that mask requirements, social distancing requirements, and the closure of businesses is going to be enforceable at this time”  -       Mr. Stepanicich on the topic of rules and regulations that are enforceable during these unprecedented times “We end up relying on a Supreme Court case that goes way back to 1905 and it was a case involving Massachusetts and smallpox... and there the Court upheld a requirement that all adults in the state had to be vaccinated against smallpox”  -       Mr. Stepanicich on the topic of where in history we look to understand the legality of the shutdown   “ The violation of a public health order is a misdemeanor, a criminal offense, and can be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars and up to six months in jail for each time the regulation is violated”  -       Mr. Stepanicich on the topic of how the government can enforce laws and regulations, in order to increase public health and safety.  Guest:  Greg Stepanicich (City Attorney for Mill Valley and Fairfield)  Interviewers:  Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador)  Maya Prasad (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Music by:  Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20)  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 Voice Talent:  Paola Loera (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Kamillah Pollard (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Ana Yeli Ruiz (UCR MPP Candidate, Dean's Ambassador)  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.  Links:  American Lung Association in California Screening "Unbreathable: The Fight For Healthy Air": bit.ly/ala-unbreathable  "The Importance of the Black Press in the Black Lives Matter Movement": bit.ly/spp-black-press

In this episode, psychology professor Aerika Loyd talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected minority communities in the United States and laid bare the deep roots of systemic racism in America ranging from healthcare inequity to lack of access in education. About Aerika Loyd: Dr. Aerika Brittian Loyd is an interdisciplinary, community-engaged developmental scientist, who employs psychology, human development, and prevention science theories to understand how intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, and identity inform health and development for youth and young adults of color (e.g., African American and Latinx). The ultimate goal of her research program is to provide recommendations for culturally informed youth practice, prevention, and policy. Learn more about her work via https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/aerikal Podcast Highlights: “One thing I’ve been inspired by with the late John Lewis, is talking about how this is a movement of a lifetime.” -       Aerika Loyd on the topic of ending racism in the United States “I would like to redirect our conversation back to this conversation about… racial injustice and the protests following George Floyd’s murder. ” -       Aerika Loyd on the topic of police brutality and Black Lives Matter “The two pandemics that health researchers are talking about are COVID-19, a global pandemic, and racism as the second pandemic, and how they are interwoven together.” -       Aerika Loyd on the topic of both COVID-19 and racism as public health crises Guest: Aerika Loyd (Associate Professor of Psychology, UC Riverside)  Interviewers:  Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Arleth Flores Aparicio (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research, Tracy Gray talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, about the challenges and opportunities faced by distanced learning, as well as depending on technology in education now, and in the future. About Tracy Gray: Dr. Gray is a Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research, and currently leads the Center for Technology Implementation. Before working at AIR, she was Vice President for youth services at the Morino Institute and was responsible for the design and implementation of the Youth Development Collaborative. Dr. Gray was also the deputy executive director and chief operating officer for the Corporation for National Service that enabled more than 50,000 corps members to work in 1,500 programs throughout the United States. She is also a UCR School of Public Policy Advisory Board Member. Learn more about Tracy Gray via https://www.air.org/person/tracy-gray. Podcast Highlights: “Most schools and districts were ill-prepared to make this sudden transition...” -       Tracy Gray on the topic of emergency distanced learning back in March as the country quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “They also find themselves in these internet deserts, even if they went outside, having access to connectivity is far from a reality.” -       Tracy Gray on the topic of the digital divide and the technological struggle many students will continue to endure as teaching continues remotely. “It does offer an opportunity to really think about how we deliver education to students, what's important, and what are the systems that need to be in place...” -       Tracy Gray on the topic of how COVID-19 will affect the future of education. She speaks about reconsidering the important support schools offer such as mental health and food services. Guest: Tracy Gray (Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research) Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Kamillah Pollard (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, former California Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the implications and challenges the American system of employer-based insurance is currently facing due to COVID-19. About Dave Jones: Mr. Jones is a member of the UCR’s School of Public Policy Advisory Board. He previously served as California’s Insurance Commissioner from 2011 to 2019. The California Department of Insurance regulates the nation’s largest insurance market in the insurance industry which collects about 257 billion dollars in premiums annually from California. Prior to this role, Mr. Jones served in the California State Assembly chairing the Assembly Health Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services from 2004 to 2011. Learn more about Dave Jones via https://spp.ucr.edu/about/people#advisory_board. Podcast Highlights: “We may have an additional 7 million uninsured people in this country by a virtue of all the people that are unemployed and as those unemployments grow, we will have more people uninsured.” -       Dave Jones on the topic of the impacts COVID-19 has had on health insurance. “Insurers did not price these policies based on having to pay out business interruption claims...450 billion dollars a month in losses that this may suffer as a result of business interruption and the insurers simply have not priced the policies to cover those losses.” -       Dave Jones on the topic of the impacts COVID-19 has had on other insurance industries like auto, business, and life insurance. “One of the things we’ve learned tragically with COVID-19 is the importance of preparation and we simply weren’t prepared...so too with climate change, we’re not prepared.” -       Dave Jones on the topic of the government and private sector response to COVID-19 and how it can help to respond to other issues. Guest: Dave Jones (School of Public Policy Advisory Board Member) Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Eric Calderon (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador ‘20) Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, Executive Director of Responsible Battery Coalition, Steve Christensen talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the important contribution of batteries in daily life, but specifically during a pandemic. About Steve Christensen: Steve Christensen is the Executive Director of Responsible Battery Coalition, a nonprofit  coalition of companies, academics and organizations committed to the responsible management of the batteries of today and tomorrow. Prior to this role, he served as the Managing Director in the U.S. Public Affairs and Crisis Practice at Burson-Marsteller in Washington DC, where his clients include some of the world’s largest agriculture, chemical and consumer products companies. Before joining the private sector, Mr. Christensen served in several roles as a senior policy official at the United States Department of Agriculture where he concentrated his efforts on supporting public health and production agriculture through the development and implementation of sound science-based public policy. Mr. Christensen is also an Advisory Board member for the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. Learn more about Steve Christensen via https://www.responsiblebatterycoalition.org/leadership-team/ Podcast Highlights: “A concern we did have when things started to close down was a state government or some official not allowing recycling of batteries...we want to make sure that recycling would remain stable so we wouldn’t see an increase in resource extraction.” -       Steve Christensen on the topic of battery production recycling and its role during COVID-19. “The reliance on batteries, as we get out of this, one of the ways we are going to manage it is through battery operated devices, from your phone to a thermometer. It all relies on battery.” -      Steve Christensen on the topic of COVID-19’s impact on battery support for the transportation in medical industries. “It is rare that you will find a food or beverage company that relies on a single source or a single region for any aspect in their business...for the next generation of batteries...the majority of those materials are coming from China and there is no where else to get them.” -       Steve Christensen on the topic of the prevalent issues within the supply change and obtaining the material needed for batteries. Guest: Steve Christensen, Executive Director of Responsible Battery Coalition Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Paola Loera (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, retired CEO of San Bernardino County, Greg Devereaux talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the different roles and responsibilities of counties versus cities in general, but especially amid a pandemic. About Greg Devereaux: Greg Devereaux has served in state and local government for nearly 40 years, holding various administrative leadership positions, including city manager in the cities of Fontana and Ontario. He was also the former Chief Executive Officer of San Bernardino where he helped the Board of Supervisors lead the County in a new direction and helped to stabilize county government finances, increase infrastructure maintenance, and restore community programs. Since his retirement, Mr. Devereaux has opened his own consulting firm working with both public and private clients. Mr. Devereaux is also a member of the advisory board for the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy. Learn more about Greg Devereaux via http://www.sbcounty.gov/cao/main/Pages/Devereaux.aspx Podcast Highlights: “Counties, in relation to the state, we are arms of the state...if the state issues a public health order, counties have to follow that order...but counties can actually be more strict than the state.” -       Greg Devereaux on the topic of the relationship between the counties of California and the state of California during this time of crisis. “One of the things that everyone acknowledges that went wrong, both at a state and federal level, stockpiles of personal protective equipment needed in the healthcare system..were allowed to get outdated and some of the equipment was sold off.” -       Greg Devereaux on the topic of the biggest gaps witnessed in our federal government, in relation to the response to COVID-19. “I do think that, perhaps, business and government will have learned that remote working can be equally or more productive and has some side benefits like cleaner air and less congested freeways.” -       Greg Devereaux on the topic of the new temporary and permanent changes post COVID-19 within our government and societies. Guest: Greg Devereaux (Retired CEO of San Bernardino County) Interviewers: Maddie Bunting (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Daisy Gonzalez (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) Music by: Samuel Roberts (UCR Public Policy ‘20) This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.