Leading by example with Megan Andricos
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Megan Andricos, also known as Sappho, is a queer event producer and musical artist based out of Portland, Oregon. She’s a founding member of Rhythm Nation and has been a huge inspiration for me. She’s inspired me musically through our studio collaborations and from her blowing my mind many times listening to her DJ. But deeper than that, Megan has shown me through leading by example how to throw inclusive and welcoming events and how to do community engagement through music. We discussed this leading by example theme during this member spotlight episode of Rhythm Nation. We also discussed representation in electronic music, Megan’s journey growing up as a queer woman in South Texas, her new record label Korítsi Kómma Records and how our own missteps in the past inspire us to give back to the community.
Megan talks through a playlist of jams that inspire her, but if you really want to hear her in her element, check out the set she played a week ago for our sister organization, Occasion Vibration:
Call to action
You need to know what’s at stake in our federal government right now because, as an Oregonian, you have a unique ability to impact it. There is a real possibility to pass a once-in-a-generation investment in our future through a $3.5T federal budget increase that would include universal pre-K, tuition-free community college, immigration reform, paid family leave, investments in clean energy technology and an environmental justice program. Oh and taxing rich people fairly to pay for it. All of these things were promises of the Biden administration. These promises compelled me and so many other young people who would have preferred a more progressive administration to compromise and get behind Biden 100%. Now the biggest risk these promises face is not Biden or Republicans, but conservative Democrats in congress including one in our very own state.
Kurt Schrader, a 10-term Democratic congressman who’s district spans from SW/SE Portland to Salem to the Oregon Coast, is leading opposition to the Biden-administration’s $3.5T budget. His rationale is that it’s too expensive and that we should settle for a package 15% of the size which would do nothing to combat climate change. Given senate rules, this budget may quite possibly be America's last chance at serious climate policy for a decade. The future of our planet may be decided by Schrader’s vote on the federal budget. Now is the time to mobilize and let congressman Schrader know that our futures are worth an investment of this size and that it will pay for itself in the long run. We can’t let him have a free pass on this short-sighted position just because he has a “D” next to his name. Not when the stakes are this high.
The most effective way to get Schrader to change his stance is to encourage his constituents to contact him. If you are a constituent of Kurt Schrader, call his office at (503) 557-1324 and tell him you want him to stop his obstruction and pass the full $3.5T budget. If you are not Schrader’s constituent, you can still help by brainstorming who you know living in Milwaukie, Camby, Clackamas, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Wilsonville, Salem, or on the Oregon Coast. Call them, let them know what’s at stake with this budget, and encourage them to call congressman Schrader.