A Boring Budget Item Highlights Public Safety Dysfunction
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It’s budget season for local governments in Oregon. Budgets…
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State Legislators Created Their Own Pay Problem
By John A. Charles, Jr. State Representatives Karin Power (Milwaukie), Anna Williams (Hood…
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Local governments seeking to ban natural gas are willfully ignoring Oregon voters.
By Rachel Dawson Think the natural gas industry is dying? The latest data…
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Support for HB 4140—Expands duties of Oregon Government Ethics Commission to
conduct investigations, make findings and impose penalties for violations of public
meetings law.
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Public meetings can be boring, but those meetings are…
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Oregon’s Land is Overregulated
By Micah Perry Land use regulations in Oregon are adversely impacting the state’s…
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Don’t own an EV? Too bad. Oregon says you’ll pay for the infrastructure anyway.
By Rachel Dawson With the start of a new year, power customers will…
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Portland’s YOYO Approach to Solving Crime
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Just after dinner on New Year’s Eve, my oldest…
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Oregonians Tell Politicians: If You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part of the Problem
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If you guessed that Oregonians think homelessness is the…
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Oregon is falling behind other states in the race for advanced nuclear power
By Rachel Dawson The era of small-modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) is upon us,…
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Economic Growth: The Only Game in Town
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last month, the Oregonian excitedly reported some great news:…
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Milton Friedman: Everyone is Greedy, No One’s an Angel, and That’s OK
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Economist Milton Friedman passed away 15 years ago this…
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Utilities should plan on using firm, reliable resources during peak events
By Rachel Dawson Portland General Electric is living a virtual power plant pipe…
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Lincoln County’s Harmful Blame Game
By Micah Perry In a recent November special election, Lincoln County approved a…
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Innovation, not regulation, is the most effective way to control GHG emissions
By Rachel Dawson Governor Kate Brown has joined other state and national representatives…
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A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Shake Up Metro
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With the retirement of Bob Stacey earlier this month,…
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Washington County Tells Small Business Owners They Just Don’t Care
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Next week, the Washington County Commission is expected to…
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Portland officials need an attitude adjustment when it comes to violent crimes
By Rachel Dawson Just over a year ago the Portland City Council cut…
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Save Your Money, Save the State: Keep the Kicker
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. A few months ago, Oregonians learned they will be…
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A Developer’s Departure Gives Portland a Chance to Reconsider Its Priorities
By Micah Perry At a time when many Portlanders are sleeping on sidewalks,…
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PacifiCorp can do more to prevent future blackouts
By Rachel Dawson Environmental groups including the Sierra Club and Western Resource Advocates…
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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…
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Oregon’s 2021 Energy Regulations Are Already Hurting Consumers
By Rachel Dawson Did you just have an order for a desktop computer…
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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…
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Portland’s Next Step to Thriving Is a Trusted Police Force
By Mia Tiwana If we want to continue seeing downtown Portland improve, maybe…
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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…
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Portland’s Housing Affordability Debacle
By Stew Robertson The City of Portland’s housing state of emergency, first declared…
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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…
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The Deadly Consequences of Catch-and-Release
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. On Saturday, police responded to a call that a…
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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…
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Portland Street Response: What Are You Waiting For?
By Vlad Yurlov Portland’s Lents neighborhood got a new homeless program in 2021….
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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…
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Press Release: Re: Metro Council Resolution No. 21-5171
April 29, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cascade Policy Institute4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.,…
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Prepare for Portland’s Post-Pandemic Party
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. We’re in the waning days of the pandemic, and…
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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…
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Oregon May Vote to Constantly Increase Infrastructure Spending
Raising prevailing wages would burden taxpayers and marginalize minorities By Vlad Yurlov Bad…
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Green Shoots of Business Need Room to Blossom
By Vlad Yurlov It’s a bad sign when businesses need to fortify their…
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Oregon Transportation Policy Needs to Learn from Its Mistakes
The Portland metro region tried everything to reduce automobile reliance. It’s time to…
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Price Gouging
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s office reached…
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Hydroelectric power is renewable; it’s time legislators recognize that
By Rachel Dawson Oregon has always been a national leader in providing clean…
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Oregon Legislators Should Vote Yes on Nuclear Power
By Rachel Dawson Oregon is home to NuScale Power, the nation’s leading small…
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SolarWorld factory closure is the latest among government subsidy mistakes
By Rachel Dawson Should governments use taxpayer dollars to support select companies of…
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Make Oregon the Opportunity State
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregonians blame Californians for many of our state’s woes….
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Take Stock, Then Take Action on Portland’s Homeless Crisis
By Vlad Yurlov Since 2015, Portland City Council has declared continuous housing emergencies….
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Portland Is Ill, but Not Dying
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. A recent column published in Forbes has caused quite…
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Reduce Homelessness by Reusing the Expo Center
By Vlad Yurlov Portland values its “green” projects; but local policymakers are attempting…
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Homelessness in the Portland Region
Some straightforward solutions to a complex problem By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. and Vlad…
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2021: The Year of Wishful Thinking
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With the clock ticking down to midnight on December…
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Employers Are Left With the Bill After Lockdowns
By Vlad Yurlov When businesses fail, they shut down. But when the government…
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Where Can the Homeless Go? Portland Still Doesn’t Know
Shelter space can be used effectively by tracking and reporting vacancies By Vlad…
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Who Will Pay the Bills When the Pandemic Ends?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This week, the U.K. became the first western nation…
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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…
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Oregon’s “Public Purpose” Energy Tax: Mission Accomplished, or Mission Creep?
By John A Charles, Jr. and Rachel Dawson EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oregon Public…
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Government Should Pay the Price for Locking Down Our Economy
By Vlad Yurlov Oregon’s government is finally feeling the pain of lockdowns. Last…
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Shopping in a Shutdown: How to Support Local Businesses
By Helen Doran The Oregonian reported that an estimated 51,000 more Oregonians are…
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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…
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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…
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Government Alone Can’t Solve Homelessness
By Vlad Yurlov On October 2, Helping Hands unveiled its latest transitional housing…
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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…
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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…
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Higher Taxes, Less Business
By Cooper Conway Joe Rogan, the outspoken commenter, comedian, and host, announced on…
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Regulating Third Party Food Delivery Services is Hurting, Not Helping, Portlanders
By Rachel Dawson Based on the passage of a 10% cap on commission…
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The Big Jobs Squeeze of 2020
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This is a terrible time to own and run…
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OLCC Provides a Silver Lining in COVID-19 Recovery
By Vlad Yurlov Alcohol-lovers may have a reason for a toast. Oregon’s Liquor…
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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…
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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….
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COVID-19 and New Business Taxes: Bayonetting the Wounded
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Many Oregon businesses are looking forward toward May 15….
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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…
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Letting Oregonians Find a Path to Recovery Is Essential Business
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon is nearing the end of the first month…
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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,…
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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,…
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Oregon Can Support Workers by Reducing Regulations
By Rachel Dawson Businesses across Oregon are laying off employees and shuttering their…
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The Grid Is Not a Tinker Toy
By John A. Charles, Jr. Rarely has Oregon’s lack of political leadership been…
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Cap Taxes or You’ll Trade Business
By Miranda Bonifield You may not be able to tax carbon out of…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Why Wapato Is the Right Facility for Portland’s Homeless Crisis
By Rachel Dawson On December 2, I had the opportunity to tour the…
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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…
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Early Coal Closures Could Spell Trouble for Grid Reliability
By Rachel Dawson The Northwest Power and Conservation Council regularly assesses the adequacy…
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Why Cap-and-Trade Can’t Be “Tweaked”
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon is less than three months away from the…
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Metro’s Housing Philosophy is Political, Not Practical
By Miranda Bonifield Metro’s attempts to provide low-income public housing since last year’s…
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Oregon Distilleries Deserve Better
By Helen Cook Oregon has a booming craft distilling industry. That’s why it’s…
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Portland’s Rising Bills are Purposeful Accidents
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Portland City Council has just learned that what it…
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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?…
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The Government-Sanctioned Cat-And-Mouse Game
By Vlad Yurlov Governments often try to pat themselves on the back. The…
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Portland’s City Council Wants Rent to Go Up
By Micah Perry The Portland City Council recently passed a new ordinance that…
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Oregon Distilleries Deserve Better
By Helen Cook How much would you be willing to pay in taxes…
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Why Is Oregon Centrally Planning the Cannabis Industry?
By Vlad Yurlov Does the cannabis industry need central planning? The Oregon legislature…
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Portland’s Ill-Considered Climate Action Tax
By Micah Perry Last fall, Portland voters approved a new 1% tax on…
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Local News Brings Accountability to Local Government
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Fake news is bad, but no news is even…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Prosper Portland’s Latest Business Grants Program Oversteps Again
By Justus Armstrong Should the City of Portland invest taxpayer money in local…
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The Story Behind Thanksgiving That Every Elected Official Should Know
By Kathryn Hickok The quintessential American holiday, Thanksgiving evolved from the Pilgrims’ celebrations…
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Missing from Mayor Wheeler’s Homelessness Program: Long-Term Independence
By Rachel Dawson Give a man a fish and you feed him for…
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Metro’s Poorly Thought-Out Grants Program
By Justus Armstrong Portland’s Metro Council plans to award grants for its Investment…
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Gov. Brown, lawmakers, unions decry court ruling / Published in News Channel KTVZ
SALEM, Ore. – Top Oregon Democrats, including Gov. Kate Brown and Sen. Jeff…
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Local unions rally against SCOTUS union decision / Published in KOIN
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Unions, and the people that make them up, headed…
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Oregon Small Businesses Deserve the Tax Break They Expected
By Steve Buckstein While most Americans are reaping the benefits of the recent…
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