Portland Politicians Talk Tough to Texas, and No One Cares
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, I attended my first out-of-state conference in…
Read Blog DetailCategory: Economic Opportunity
Oregon’s 2021 Energy Regulations Are Already Hurting Consumers
By Rachel Dawson Did you just have an order for a desktop computer…
Read Blog Detail
A Cascade Policy Institute Online Event: Discovering the Life of Thomas Sowell
On September 15, 2021 at noon PDT, Cascade Policy Institute will be joined…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Next Step to Thriving Is a Trusted Police Force
By Mia Tiwana If we want to continue seeing downtown Portland improve, maybe…
Read Blog Detail
Ratepayers are struggling to pay their utility bills and Kate Brown doesn’t care
By Rachel Dawson Oregonians are struggling to pay their utility bills. So then…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Housing Affordability Debacle
By Stew Robertson The City of Portland’s housing state of emergency, first declared…
Read Blog Detail
Travelers, Please Come to Portland … After We Clean Up the Place
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If you get the Sunday New York Times, your…
Read Blog Detail
The Deadly Consequences of Catch-and-Release
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. On Saturday, police responded to a call that a…
Read Blog Detail
A new loss of load probability heightens concerns over the Northwest’s power grid
By Rachel Dawson The race is on for a reliable power grid. A…
Read Blog Detail
Portland Street Response: What Are You Waiting For?
By Vlad Yurlov Portland’s Lents neighborhood got a new homeless program in 2021….
Read Blog Detail
The Era of DIY Government Will Not End Well
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, a Craigslist post brought it home—we’re in…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Re: Metro Council Resolution No. 21-5171
April 29, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cascade Policy Institute4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.,…
Read Blog Detail
Prepare for Portland’s Post-Pandemic Party
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. We’re in the waning days of the pandemic, and…
Read Blog Detail
Vlad Yurlov, Policy Analyst at Cascade Policy Institute, provided testimony on Portland City Council’s Shelter to Housing Continuum
Via emailMarch 30, 2021 Portland City Council, I’m Vlad Yurlov, policy analyst at…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon May Vote to Constantly Increase Infrastructure Spending
Raising prevailing wages would burden taxpayers and marginalize minorities By Vlad Yurlov Bad…
Read Blog Detail
Green Shoots of Business Need Room to Blossom
By Vlad Yurlov It’s a bad sign when businesses need to fortify their…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Transportation Policy Needs to Learn from Its Mistakes
The Portland metro region tried everything to reduce automobile reliance. It’s time to…
Read Blog Detail
Price Gouging
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s office reached…
Read Blog Detail
Hydroelectric power is renewable; it’s time legislators recognize that
By Rachel Dawson Oregon has always been a national leader in providing clean…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Legislators Should Vote Yes on Nuclear Power
By Rachel Dawson Oregon is home to NuScale Power, the nation’s leading small…
Read Blog Detail
SolarWorld factory closure is the latest among government subsidy mistakes
By Rachel Dawson Should governments use taxpayer dollars to support select companies of…
Read Blog Detail
Make Oregon the Opportunity State
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregonians blame Californians for many of our state’s woes….
Read Blog Detail
Take Stock, Then Take Action on Portland’s Homeless Crisis
By Vlad Yurlov Since 2015, Portland City Council has declared continuous housing emergencies….
Read Blog Detail
Portland Is Ill, but Not Dying
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. A recent column published in Forbes has caused quite…
Read Blog Detail
Reduce Homelessness by Reusing the Expo Center
By Vlad Yurlov Portland values its “green” projects; but local policymakers are attempting…
Read Blog Detail
Homelessness in the Portland Region
Some straightforward solutions to a complex problem By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. and Vlad…
Read Blog Detail
2021: The Year of Wishful Thinking
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With the clock ticking down to midnight on December…
Read Blog Detail
Employers Are Left With the Bill After Lockdowns
By Vlad Yurlov When businesses fail, they shut down. But when the government…
Read Blog Detail
Where Can the Homeless Go? Portland Still Doesn’t Know
Shelter space can be used effectively by tracking and reporting vacancies If a…
Read Blog Detail
Who Will Pay the Bills When the Pandemic Ends?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This week, the U.K. became the first western nation…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Legislators should throw restaurants and bars a lifeline by legalizing “cocktails to-go”
By Rachel Dawson Do you want to enjoy a drink but don’t feel…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s “Public Purpose” Energy Tax: Mission Accomplished, or Mission Creep?
By John A Charles, Jr. and Rachel Dawson EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oregon Public…
Read Blog Detail
Government Should Pay the Price for Locking Down Our Economy
By Vlad Yurlov Oregon’s government is finally feeling the pain of lockdowns. Last…
Read Blog Detail
Shopping in a Shutdown: How to Support Local Businesses
By Helen Doran The Oregonian reported that an estimated 51,000 more Oregonians are…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon should be supporting restaurants and bars, not freezing them out.
By Rachel Dawson Governor Kate Brown recently decided to take her Coronavirus “two-week…
Read Blog Detail
Cascade Policy Institute Responds to the Early Closure of the Boardman Coal Plant
October 19, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Rachel Dawson (503) 242-0900 rachel@cascadepolicy.org…
Read Blog Detail
Government Alone Can’t Solve Homelessness
By Vlad Yurlov On October 2, Helping Hands unveiled its latest transitional housing…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Eric Fruits, Vice President of Research at Cascade Policy Institute, urges Metro Council to reject Ordinance 20-1449
October 4, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Eric Fruits, Ph.D. (503) 242-0900…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s NuScale is one step further to providing states with clean, reliable energy
By Rachel Dawson Oregon’s very own NuScale Power, a company developing small-modular nuclear…
Read Blog Detail
Higher Taxes, Less Business
By Cooper Conway Joe Rogan, the outspoken commenter, comedian, and host, announced on…
Read Blog Detail
Regulating Third Party Food Delivery Services is Hurting, Not Helping, Portlanders
By Rachel Dawson Based on the passage of a 10% cap on commission…
Read Blog Detail
The Big Jobs Squeeze of 2020
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This is a terrible time to own and run…
Read Blog Detail
OLCC Provides a Silver Lining in COVID-19 Recovery
By Vlad Yurlov Alcohol-lovers may have a reason for a toast. Oregon’s Liquor…
Read Blog Detail
The Era of Permanent Prosperity Is Over: It’s Time for a Serious Budget Discussion
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The 2020 we’re living in is very different from…
Read Blog Detail
COVID-19 Is Killing the Economy; New Business Taxes Are Bayonetting the Wounded
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Many Oregon businesses are looking forward toward May 15….
Read Blog Detail
COVID-19 and New Business Taxes: Bayonetting the Wounded
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Many Oregon businesses are looking forward toward May 15….
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s homeless population needs a “hand-up,” not another Metro money grab
By Rachel Dawson The Oregon nonprofit Cascadia Clusters understands the value of providing…
Read Blog Detail
Letting Oregonians Find a Path to Recovery Is Essential Business
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon is nearing the end of the first month…
Read Blog Detail
As more people work remotely, a reliable grid is needed now more than ever
By Rachel Dawson “The vast disparity between the rich and the poor is,…
Read Blog Detail
Small Modular Reactors Are Not the 20th-Century Nuclear Plants We’re Familiar With
By Rachel Dawson Oregon, it’s about time we talk about nuclear power. No,…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Can Support Workers by Reducing Regulations
By Rachel Dawson Businesses across Oregon are laying off employees and shuttering their…
Read Blog Detail
The Grid Is Not a Tinker Toy
By John A. Charles, Jr. Rarely has Oregon’s lack of political leadership been…
Read Blog Detail
Cap Taxes or You’ll Trade Business
By Miranda Bonifield You may not be able to tax carbon out of…
Read Blog Detail
They Always Want More: Voters Face at Least a Half Dozen New Taxes in 2020
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With this year’s “short” session of the legislature, the…
Read Blog Detail
New Portland Design Guideline Will Place Responsibility for Homeless Crisis on Private Property Owners
By Rachel Dawson There is a homeless crisis in Portland. According to a…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Report shows possible benefits to workers, employers, and unions from increased competition in representation
December 30, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Eric Fruits, Ph.D. (503) 242-0900…
Read Blog Detail
Why Wapato Is the Right Facility for Portland’s Homeless Crisis
By Rachel Dawson On December 2, I had the opportunity to tour the…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s population growth: Slow and steady may not win the race
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon’s population grew by more than 41,000 residents last…
Read Blog Detail
Early Coal Closures Could Spell Trouble for Grid Reliability
By Rachel Dawson The Northwest Power and Conservation Council regularly assesses the adequacy…
Read Blog Detail
Why Cap-and-Trade Can’t Be “Tweaked”
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon is less than three months away from the…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s Housing Philosophy is Political, Not Practical
By Miranda Bonifield Metro’s attempts to provide low-income public housing since last year’s…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Distilleries Deserve Better
By Helen Cook Oregon has a booming craft distilling industry. That’s why it’s…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Rising Bills are Purposeful Accidents
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Portland City Council has just learned that what it…
Read Blog Detail
Residents Say Portland is Not the City that Works
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. What if the self-proclaimed “City that Works” isn’t working?…
Read Blog Detail
The Government-Sanctioned Cat-And-Mouse Game
By Vlad Yurlov Governments often try to pat themselves on the back. The…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s City Council Wants Rent to Go Up
By Micah Perry The Portland City Council recently passed a new ordinance that…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Distilleries Deserve Better
By Helen Cook How much would you be willing to pay in taxes…
Read Blog Detail
Why Is Oregon Centrally Planning the Cannabis Industry?
By Vlad Yurlov Does the cannabis industry need central planning? The Oregon legislature…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Ill-Considered Climate Action Tax
By Micah Perry Last fall, Portland voters approved a new 1% tax on…
Read Blog Detail
Local News Brings Accountability to Local Government
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Fake news is bad, but no news is even…
Read Blog Detail
A Done Deal and a Bad Deal: Why Rent Control Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon will soon be the first state to have…
Read Blog Detail
Portland Economist Eric Fruits Joins Cascade Policy Institute as Vice President of Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 john@cascadepolicy.org Portland, OR…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Hillsboro CPA and Former Oregon State Legislator Katie Eyre Joins Cascade Policy Institute Board of Directors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 john@cascadepolicy.org Portland, OR…
Read Blog Detail
Prosper Portland’s Latest Business Grants Program Oversteps Again
By Justus Armstrong Should the City of Portland invest taxpayer money in local…
Read Blog Detail
The Story Behind Thanksgiving That Every Elected Official Should Know
By Kathryn Hickok The quintessential American holiday, Thanksgiving evolved from the Pilgrims’ celebrations…
Read Blog Detail
Missing from Mayor Wheeler’s Homelessness Program: Long-Term Independence
By Rachel Dawson Give a man a fish and you feed him for…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s Poorly Thought-Out Grants Program
By Justus Armstrong Portland’s Metro Council plans to award grants for its Investment…
Read Blog Detail
Gov. Brown, lawmakers, unions decry court ruling / Published in News Channel KTVZ
SALEM, Ore. – Top Oregon Democrats, including Gov. Kate Brown and Sen. Jeff…
Read Blog Detail
Local unions rally against SCOTUS union decision / Published in KOIN
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Unions, and the people that make them up, headed…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Small Businesses Deserve the Tax Break They Expected
By Steve Buckstein While most Americans are reaping the benefits of the recent…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Can Help Young Oregonians Be “Future Ready” by Reducing Red Tape
By Kathryn Hickok Governor Kate Brown opened this month’s legislative session with her…
Read Blog Detail
Innovative Technology Can Reduce Tobacco Harm and Save Oregonians Tax Dollars
By Steve Buckstein To eventually end cigarette use in America, rather than rely…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Ranks 8th Worst in Regulatory Burden on Lower-Income Occupations
By Kathryn Hickok Oregon ranks 8th in the nation in “burdensome” occupational licensing laws,…
Read Blog Detail
Straightforward policy reforms can reverse Oregon’s lower-than-average incomes and high cost of living
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon’s economy seems to be chugging along, yet many…
Read Blog Detail
This Thanksgiving, Are You Part of the One Percent?
By Steve Buckstein You may not have learned this in school, but prior…
Read Blog DetailOregon Takes a Big Step to Battle Opioid Overdoses
By Steve Buckstein For a variety of reasons, many Americans are becoming addicted to…
Read Blog DetailMoving Beyond Symbolism
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last week Governor Kate Brown gave a speech…
Read Blog DetailWhen Government Gets It Backwards, Reread Jefferson
By Steve Buckstein Two hundred and forty-one years ago this July 4, the…
Read Blog DetailAre Smartphones in Class a Problem or an Opportunity?
By Steve Buckstein To hear some teachers talk, you would think before smartphones…
Read Blog DetailCritiquing Minimum Wage Laws Is About Protecting the Working Man (or Woman)
By Lydia White A team of researchers from the University of Washington produced…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Film: Shane (1953)
By Kathryn Hickok “That’s the trouble with this country. There ain’t a marshal…
Read Blog DetailPresident Trump’s Environmental Agenda: An Insider’s Perspective
Cascade Policy Institute Hosts Lunch with Special Guest Speaker Myron Ebell President Trump’s…
Read Blog DetailChallenges to Free Expression and Academic Integrity on Campus
Join Cascade Policy Institute for an evening with special guest Dr. Jacqueline Pfeffer Merril,…
Read Blog Detail75th Anniversary of Roosevelt Order a Sober Reminder to Defend Constitutional Liberties
By Lydia White On Monday, government offices were closed in honor of Presidents’…
Read Blog DetailCar Ownership Is Not a Crime
By John A. Charles, Jr. A bill has been introduced in the state…
Read Blog DetailPolicy Picnic – February 23, 2017
Please join us for our monthly Policy Picnic led by Cascade Policy Institute’s Research Associate Lydia…
Read Blog DetailLimiting Government: A Goal That’s Always Worthwhile
By Lydia White As inauguration weekend unfolded, Republicans cheered with a gasp of…
Read Blog DetailKate Brown’s Math Problem
By John A. Charles, Jr. For the past 18 months, the Oregon Land…
Read Blog DetailBad Consequences of Public Policies Aren’t Really “Unintended,” Just “Unacknowledged”
By Steve Buckstein Decades of research and experience tell us that raising the…
Read Blog DetailPolicy Picnic – January 25, 2017
Please join us for our monthly Policy Picnic led by special guest Bobbie Jager …
Read Blog Detail