Control Cometh Before the Fall of Education
The desire to be in charge is as human as pride. It’s easy…
Read Blog DetailYear: 2011
Turn out the Lights
Now that the Dear Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka…
Read Blog DetailSecret Santas Light a Candle at Christmas
Struggling parents with children’s clothing and toys on layaway are finding that anonymous…
Read Blog DetailNight of a Thousand Laughs
Come laugh; it’s for the children! Join State Representative Matt Wingard and three…
Read Blog DetailTaking Work Personally: How Individual Accounts Reward Personal Responsibility
Recently, I had a long conversation with an owner of a bakery near…
Read Blog DetailSave the Mail! – Delivery to Slow as Debt Crisis Looms
I read with a tinge of dismay that the U.S. Postal Service is…
Read Blog DetailTo Save the Library, Don’t Leave Good Ideas on the Shelf
Sometime in the next three months, the Multnomah County commissioners will decide whether…
Read Blog DetailNew Oregon Law Okays Pocketing Other People’s Money
Even the most casual football-watcher has to have noticed the eye-catching ads run…
Read Blog DetailBlended Learning: Making Technology Work for Students
In the Nation’s Digital Learning Report Card, Oregon received great marks for our…
Read Blog DetailThe Postman Winked and Chirped
No more next-day first class mail delivery? This is just the latest sign…
Read Blog DetailCapitalism Is Not Democracy
Among the colorful images of Occupy marches and camps over the last few…
Read Blog DetailThe Oregon Education Investment Board: Top Down on Steroids
The recent firing of University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere has unleashed strong…
Read Blog DetailEducation Savings Accounts Multiply Options for Kids
Kids do better when their parents have the freedom to choose the right…
Read Blog DetailHealth Care’s Newest Epidemic: Red Tape
By Douglas A. Perednia, M.D. Here’s a riddle: What costs Americans over $12…
Read Blog Detail“If You Save One Life, You Save the World”
Among the blessings for which to be thankful this holiday weekend is the…
Read Blog DetailSteve Buckstein debates the morality of capitalism
Senior Policy Analyst Steve Buckstein debates an Occupy Portland participant at its downtown…
Read Blog DetailKathryn Hickok talks with Bill Meyer about charitable giving
Kathryn Hickok talks with radio show host Bill Meyer to discuss impacts of…
Read Blog DetailTaking Another Shot at the Profit Motive
The Occupy movement is encouraging people to take their money out of “big…
Read Blog DetailOccupy Portland: Don’t Replace One Set of Thieves With Another
The recent Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Portland movement has focused attention on a number…
Read Blog DetailMake the Grade with Online Options
Kids today learn how to use a computer or a video game system…
Read Blog DetailPersonal Health Accounts Empower Medicaid Recipients
As Michael Sherraden pointed out 20 years ago in his book Assets and…
Read Blog DetailThe President’s Tax Proposal Would Cripple Charities
President Obama proposed once again that Congress reduce the federal itemized tax deduction…
Read Blog DetailReport on Stabilizing Multnomah County Library Funding Released
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 25, 2011 Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. President &…
Read Blog DetailCascade Update Fall 2011
The fall edition of Cascade Update is here! Read about Oregon’s “Year of…
Read Blog DetailWhen Does Theft Turn into Taxation?
The Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Portland crowds are demanding that “rich people” pay their…
Read Blog DetailPRESS RELEASE: National digital report card finds Oregon needs more online learning opportunities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2011 Contact: Christina Martin Policy Analyst, School Choice…
Read Blog DetailThe Battle of the Book Worms: Who Should Pay for “Free” Public Libraries?
By Christopher Robinson, John A. Charles Jr., and Kathryn Hickok When Jackson County,…
Read Blog DetailOregon’s $392 Million Unemployment Mistake
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, almost $19 billion in state unemployment…
Read Blog Detail“Real” Accountability for Charter Prep Should Extend to the Whole System
With the recent failure of the Portland-based REAL Prep Charter Academy to open…
Read Blog DetailUnemployment Accounts: A Better Way to Protect the Unemployed
Cascade is hosting this special invite-only event. If you have not received an…
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Read Blog DetailFree citizen education forum on Urban transportation and the CRC Light Rail Project
Citizens are warmly invited to hear five national experts share research on the…
Read Blog DetailRubber-Tire Contempt: TriMet’s $1.5 Billion Plan to Deliver Inferior Transit Service
As a young environmental activist growing up in north Jersey in the 1960s,…
Read Blog DetailDrop the Envy Card: Wealth Grows From Serving Others
The politics of envy is alive and well. Too many Americans, including President…
Read Blog DetailYou’re teaching my child what? And it is costing us how much!
Join U-Choose exploring public education. Speakers will present information on the history and…
Read Blog DetailCascade Book Forum: The Morality of Capitalism by Dr. Tom Palmer
Cascade Policy Institute is hosting Dr. Tom Palmer, senior fellow at CATO Institute,…
Read Blog DetailOregon Innovates During “The Year of School Choice”
The Wall Street Journal recently called 2011 “The Year of School Choice.” According…
Read Blog DetailA Health Clinic by Another Name…Will the Oregon Health Plan “Transformation” Work?
By Douglas A. Perednia, M.D. Here’s a question for you. If you quietly…
Read Blog DetailBasic American Rights Series – Property Rights
Americans for Prosperity and the I Spy on Salem Radio Show will be…
Read Blog DetailExtending Unemployment Benefits: Good Intentions, Bad Results
Last Thursday, President Obama asked Congress once again to extend unemployment benefits, allowing…
Read Blog DetailPower to the People!
By Nick Sibilla The Oregon Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a bold…
Read Blog DetailTriMet’s War on Urban Livability
The following is an op-ed posted in the Oregonian. Weigh in on the…
Read Blog Detail“Freedom’s Home and Defender”
“It is said that adversity introduces us to ourselves,” said President Bush three…
Read Blog DetailGreen to Gray: TriMet and SW Lincoln Street in Portland, Oregon
Narration text below: In the 1960’s, SW Lincoln Street, near Portland State University,…
Read Blog DetailUnemployment Insurance, Savings Accounts or Both? A Way Forward for Oregon’s Workers
One silver lining of the burst housing bubble has been the increase in…
Read Blog DetailReady, Fire, Aim, for Oregon’s Payday Lending Policy
By Christopher Robinson In 2006 and 2007 the Oregon legislature passed two bills…
Read Blog DetailIs the Road to Economic Growth Paved with Broken Windows?
Columnist Paul Krugman is credited with a line of thinking that should be…
Read Blog Detail“Ready for College and Life”
In just a couple weeks, students everywhere return to school. Have you ever…
Read Blog DetailREPORT: The Dirty Secret Behind Clean Jobs
With unemployment on the rise, new jobs are scarce. Creating jobs has become…
Read Blog DetailHand-Up Versus Handout Tackles Homelessness
By Michael Bastasch Since 1986, Portland and Multnomah County have launched a slew…
Read Blog DetailYou’re teaching my child what? And it is costing us how much!
Join U-Choose exploring public education. Speakers will present information on the history and…
Read Blog DetailYou’re teaching my child what? And it is costing us how much!
Join U-Choose exploring public education. Speakers will present information on the history and…
Read Blog DetailHow many presidential buses does it take to equal the cost of one light rail car?
President Obama is traveling the Midwest on a new bus purchased by the…
Read Blog DetailGermany’s Energy Mistake of Nuclear Proportions
By Gordon J. Fulks, Ph.D. “Quem deus vult perdere, dementat prius ― Whom…
Read Blog DetailCascade Requests Congressional House Committee to Delete Funding for Milwaukie Light Rail
Portland, OR – Today Cascade Policy Institute sent a letter to Rep. John…
Read Blog DetailThe Debt Downgrade Blame Game
Politicians and pundits upset that tax increases were not part of the recent…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles message to the TriMet Board Members
Below is the message John Charles sent to TriMet board members on August…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles talks to the Bill Post Radio Show about JPACT attack
John Charles addresses the JPACT attacks on the Bill Post radio show. For…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles responds to attacks made by Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette
At the July 14, 2011 JPACT meeting, accusations were made about John Charles…
Read Blog DetailRenewable Energy Credits: The Ultimate Greenwash
By Nick Sibilla News Corporation claims it’s greener than Starbucks. That’s one of…
Read Blog DetailLearning from Mistakes in Health Insurance Policy
By Michael Bastasch The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) was implemented in 1994 as…
Read Blog Detail“The Boondoggle of Boondoggles”
By Nick Sibilla Oregon is a pioneer in green power. But we’re also…
Read Blog DetailThe Dirty Secret Behind Clean Jobs
By Nick Sibilla New jobs are scarce. In June, Oregon’s unemployment rate rose…
Read Blog DetailWhich Oregon School District Teaches No Students?
Oregon’s major teachers union, The Oregon Education Association (OEA), is seen by many…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles responds to Portland Mayor Sam Adams
At the July 14, 2011 JPACT meeting, accusations were made about John Charles…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles attacked by Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and Portland Mayor Sam Adams
At the July 14, 2011 JPACT (Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation) meeting…
Read Blog DetailA free-market guru with ties to Portland
The following op-ed appeared in The Oregonian the day after Milton Friedman passed…
Read Blog DetailRemembering Milton Friedman: A Legacy of Freedom
This year is being coined a “Season of Growth” for the dramatic gains…
Read Blog DetailPortland’s Debt Isn’t Rosy
By Christopher Robinson The Federal Government isn’t the only one with a spending…
Read Blog DetailReason Foundation authors in Portland
Cascade friends Nick Gillespie (Reason.TV) and Matt Welsh (Reason magazine) will discuss the…
Read Blog DetailEcoFlats: One More Unsustainable Green Icon for Portland
By Christopher Robinson So-called “sustainable development” is a longtime political interest in the…
Read Blog DetailUnfunded Liabilities: Oregon’s Hidden Debt
By Michael Bastasch Congress is still debating raising the federal debt ceiling. This…
Read Blog DetailKarla discusses Alberta’s Bill 36 on CAEPLA Connections in Canada – Part 2
On July 2, 2011, Karla continued discussion with CAEPLA CONNECTIONS LANDOWNER TALK RADIO…
Read Blog DetailKarla discusses Alberta’s Bill 36 on CAEPLA Connections in Canada – Part 1
Click here for part 2 On June 25, 2011, Karla visited with CAEPLA…
Read Blog DetailThis week on CAEPLA Connections Landowner Talk Radio, Keith Wilson, Karla Kay Edwards,…
Read Blog DetailOregon’s Economic Outlook Continues to Slip
Hit hard by the national recession, Oregon lawmakers started the 2011 legislative session…
Read Blog DetailThe Ultimate Greenwash
By Nick Sibilla Fox News is greener than Starbucks. Surprised? You should be….
Read Blog DetailTriMet’s New Transit Bridge to the Last Century
On June 30 TriMet formally began construction on the new Willamette River Bridge…
Read Blog DetailRecent K-12 Education Reforms Let Kids Transfer to a Brighter Future
Public education exists to serve children – period. However, as evidenced by the…
Read Blog DetailState Budget vs. Union Benefits
By Christopher Robinson Mediation continues in Salem between two major labor unions and…
Read Blog DetailAn Open Letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama: Your recognition of the importance of rural America is…
Read Blog DetailThe Truth about the Canadian Health Care System
By Frank S. Rosenbloom, M.D. President Barack Obama and supportive members of Congress…
Read Blog DetailMilton Friedman Birthday Celebration!
Come celebrate the birthday of one of the economic greats of our time!
Read Blog DetailFTA Response to John Charles breach of contract letter
John Charles talked to the TriMet board about their FTA agreement, click below…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles Gives Legislature Issues to Work for Next Session
On 6/2, John Charles was an invited witness before the House Committee on…
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles testimony on OPEB Unfunded Liabilities
John Charles was an invited witness before the Senate Government Operations committee on…
Read Blog DetailOregon’s Next Green Folly
By Michael Bastasch Governor John Kitzhaber’s new “green” energy ploy, the Oregon “Cool…
Read Blog DetailSay what you want about John Charles…
John Charles speaks at the Trimet board meeting on July 11, 2011
Read Blog DetailJohn Charles to TriMet Board: Understand Obligations Before Signing FTA Grant Agreement
Testimony before the TriMet Board of Directors Regarding Resolution 11-06-38 Application for a…
Read Blog DetailThousands of Oregon Kids Waiting – Literally – for Education Package
This week, legislators and lobbyists are working frantically behind the scenes on an…
Read Blog DetailThe Not So “Cool School” Initiative
By Michael Bastasch The Oregon “Cool Schools” Initiative (House Bill 2960) directs the…
Read Blog DetailReal Health Insurance Reform
The day after the Oregon legislature finished voting to create an Oregon Health…
Read Blog DetailOregon Education Spending Increases―But for What Outcome?
How much do we spend to educate students in Oregon? It depends on…
Read Blog DetailBPA Fact Sheet
Despite considerable fears raised by activist groups and the press, the science does…
Read Blog DetailKarla talks Attack of the 50ft Environmentalist on I Spy on Salem
On the June 4, 2011 episode of I Spy on Salem, Karla joins…
Read Blog Detail$11,540 per student in 2009-2010: Are we getting our money’s worth?
According to the National Education Association, the national teachers union, Oregon spent an…
Read Blog DetailCan the Bureaucratic Knot Be Untangled?
Several well-written articles recently have called for Oregon to once again capitalize on…
Read Blog DetailLazy Fair Picnic
The annual Picnic Lalapalooza of the Executive Club, Taxpayer Association of Oregon, and the Cascade Policy…
Read Blog DetailComments to the TriMet Board Regarding Proposed TriMet Fare Increase
The following comments were submitted to the TriMet board June 3, 2011. Members…
Read Blog DetailStop Self-Service Electric Car Charging
A specter is haunting Oregon. One of two states that prohibit self-serve gasoline,…
Read Blog Detail