ESR Testimony to SLB October 2024
October 14, 2024 State Land Board775 Summer Street, NESalem, OR 97301 Re: Agenda…
Read Blog DetailCategory: Land Use
Why the American Dream Is Just a Dream for Many Urbanites
By Seth Bowman Cities in Oregon are required to have Urban Growth Boundaries…
Read Blog Detail
Do People Have a Right to Camp on Sidewalks?
By John A. Charles, Jr. This week the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral…
Read Blog Detail
Providing Homes Oregon Families Can Afford Is a Solvable Problem
By Kathryn Hickok This month, Cascade Policy Institute is releasing a new report…
Read Blog Detail
The Affordable Housing Scam
By Randal O’Toole Executive Summary U.S. taxpayers spend tens of billions of dollars…
Read Blog Detail
The prudent person principle should be applied to all publicly funded projects
By Karen Rue Last week, Cascade Policy Institute provided suggestions to the Board…
Read Blog Detail
Letter to the Department of State Lands re: Draft Asset Management Plan
April 3, 2024 Vicki WalkerDirector, Oregon Department of State Lands775 Summer Street NESalem,…
Read Blog Detail
Housing Sites Everywhere but No Way to Build
By John A. Charles, Jr. Oregon has a housing shortage, which has been…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Needs More Than Tiny Homes
By John A. Charles, Jr. The 35-day session of the Oregon Legislature opened…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony before the Senate Committee on Housing and Development Regarding SB 1537
February 9, 2024 My name is John Charles and I am President of…
Read Blog Detail
It’s Time to End Home Equity Theft in Oregon
By Mia Tiwana It’s time to end home equity theft in Oregon. In…
Read Blog Detail
Offshore Wind Takes a Blow
By Joshua Schutte Lawmakers and activists across the country continue to push for…
Read Blog Detail
Metro Nature Parks: Inaccessible by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last month Metro auditor Brian Evans released an…
Read Blog Detail
Metro Nature Parks are Hidden by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. In June the elected Auditor for Metro published…
Read Blog Detail
A Holiday Wishlist for Oregon
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. ‘Tis the season for holiday wishes. And, toward that…
Read Blog Detail
Tolling’s Political Pile-Up
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If the Oregon Department of Transportation has its way,…
Read Blog Detail
Private Property Saved the Plymouth Pilgrims
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This Thanksgiving let’s give thanks to the Pilgrims who…
Read Blog Detail
For Oregon’s New Governor, Great Power Comes with Great Responsibility
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It’s the day after Election Day and the votes…
Read Blog Detail
No on Measure 26-225: Metro’s Parks and Nature Program Needs a Reset
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Yet again, Metro is asking for more money for…
Read Blog Detail
Lights Out: A Lesson in Local Government
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, an Oregonian story reported that for years,…
Read Blog Detail
Portland Needs More Than Zoning Changes to Increase Housing Supply
By Taylor Marks Starting July 1, Portland property owners will have new choices…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Self-Inflicted Rental Housing Shortage
By Micah Perry According to a revised report from economic consulting firm ECONorthwest,…
Read Blog Detail
Nostalgia and NIMBYism Stand in the Way of Sheltering the Homeless
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. For more than a year, Cascade Policy Institute has…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s Playing Farmville With Taxpayer Money
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. People in the Portland area love their parks and…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s Land is Overregulated
By Micah Perry Land use regulations in Oregon are adversely impacting the state’s…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony of John Charles Before the Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery Regarding SB 1546-1
By John A. Charles, Jr. February 3, 2022Senate Natural Resources CommitteeState CapitolSalem, OR…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s New Parks Took Too Long, Leave Too Much to Be Desired
By Micah Perry In December 2021, Metro, the Portland-area regional government, opened Newell…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony of John Charles Before the State Land Board Regarding the DSL Strategic Plan
By John A. Charles, Jr. Testimony of John A. Charles, Cascade Policy InstituteBefore…
Read Blog Detail
Fudged Numbers and a Failed Response
By Micah Perry It’s been more than six years since Portland declared a…
Read Blog Detail
Should anyone care about the new Washington Square Regional Plan?
By John A. Charles, Jr. The Tigard City Council is going through the…
Read Blog Detail
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Shake Up Metro
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With the retirement of Bob Stacey earlier this month,…
Read Blog Detail
The Real Problem with Metro’s Parks and Nature Spending
By Micah Perry Over the course of more than 25 years, Metro’s parks…
Read Blog Detail
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,…
Read Blog Detail
Big Questions for Harriet Tubman Middle School Property
By Mia Tiwana Portland’s Harriet Tubman Middle School might be on the move….
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
Homelessness Is More Than a Branding Problem
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Portland’s housing crisis is now in its sixth year….
Read Blog Detail
Portland Cannot Ignore “Low-Impact” Camps
A proposed ordinance aims to deprioritize some homeless camps considered “low impact” By…
Read Blog Detail
PDX to Invest $150,000 in Failed Housing Policy
Portland’s policy of Inclusionary Zoning makes housing less affordable for families. By Vlad…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Homeless Policy Must Switch Gears to Achieve Long-Term Results
Doubling down on failing policy puts both homeless residents and taxpayers at risk…
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
Testimony Re: Metro Council Resolution No. 21-5171—Multnomah County Local Implementation Plan
Via Email April 29, 2021 Metro Council600 NE Grand Ave.Portland, OR 97232 Re: …
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
Design Review Is Growing Portland’s Housing Crisis
Subjective rules reduce the supply of housing By Vlad Yurlov Portland City Council…
Read Blog Detail
A Vision for Homeless Services: Open Up the Expo Center
By Vlad Yurlov and Eric Fruits, Ph.D. A recent Oregonian/OregonLive editorial criticizes Metro’s…
Read Blog Detail
Why Is “Affordable Housing” So Expensive?
By Vlad Yurlov Why is “affordable housing” so expensive? Many politicians, bureaucrats, and…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Cascade Policy Institute Offers Straightforward Solutions to Oregon’s Homeless Crisis
January 22, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Office: (503) [email protected]…
Read Blog Detail
Metro needs to break down barriers to nature
By Helen Doran In Metro’s latest quarterly newsletter, “Our Big Backyard,” the reader…
Read Blog Detail
The Region’s New Transfer Station Means Frills and Bills
By Vlad Yurlov Would you like to have a nice picnic near a…
Read Blog Detail
Avoidable Expenses for Affordable Housing
By Vlad Yurlov While many people in the Portland region value efficient governments,…
Read Blog Detail
It’s Creepy Season: Metro’s Haunted Lands
By Helen Doran Did you know that more than three-fourths of Metro’s park…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s Broken Promise of Racial Equity
By Helen Doran A scenic drive through the country does not usually call…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s $700,000 Sentiment
By Helen Cook On June 25th, Metro approved $700,000 in taxpayer money for…
Read Blog Detail
Metro has a history of breaking promises to voters. The housing bond measure is no exception.
By Rachel Dawson Metro has a history of breaking promises to voters. This…
Read Blog Detail
The Housing Crisis Isn’t a Portland Problem; It’s a UGB Problem
By Rachel Dawson Portland’s housing crisis isn’t unique to the Metro region. Other…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s Housing Tax Requires Serious Oversight
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. At the first—and likely only—public hearing on Metro’s “supportive…
Read Blog Detail
Cascade Policy Institute Raises Concerns Metro Is Flouting Oregon Public Meetings Law
Transparency is critical as Metro asks voters to trust the agency with billions…
Read Blog Detail
Eric Fruits, Vice President of Research of Cascade Policy Institute submitted testimony to Metro Council regarding the lax oversight of Metro’s Parks and Nature Program
Press Release: Eric Fruits, Vice President of Research of Cascade Policy Institute submitted testimony…
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
Voters Should Reject Ballot Measure 26-203
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. By now, Oregon voters have received their ballots for…
Read Blog Detail
Enough Is Enough: Voters Should Reject Metro’s Bond Measure
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. By now Oregon voters have received their ballots for…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Cascade Policy Institute Publishes Comprehensive Study of Metro’s Parks and Nature Program
October 15, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: John A. Charles, Jr. Eric…
Read Blog Detail
Hidden Lands, Unknown Plans: A Quarter Century of Metro’s Natural Areas Program
By Vladislav Yurlov, Helen Cook, and Micah Perry with Eric Fruits, Ph.D., research…
Read Blog Detail
Where Is Our Metro Park at Chehalem Ridge?
By Helen Cook This summer, I was walking on an old logging road…
Read Blog Detail
Public Debt for Public Housing
By Vlad Yurlov In the 2018 general election, voters approved a bond measure…
Read Blog Detail
Read My Lips: Metro’s Promises Are Doubtful at Best
By Miranda Bonifield There’s nothing so permanent as a temporary government program, and…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Taxpayers Can’t Celebrate $146 Million Debt Service on the Elliott State Forest
By John A. Charles, Jr. This week our State Treasurer, Tobias Read, issued…
Read Blog Detail
Rent Control Is a Steal
By Miranda Bonifield Remember that emotional final episode of the now-classic sitcom Friends?…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Report shows Oregon’s “smart growth” policies make housing less affordable for Oregonians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 [email protected] PORTLAND, Ore….
Read Blog Detail
Can National Parks’ Operations Be Funded with User Fees? National Park Service Says Yes!
By Rachel Dawson Whether or not you have ever visited a national park,…
Read Blog Detail
The Housing Affordability Crisis: The Role of Anti-Sprawl Policy
By Randall Pozdena, Ph.D. Executive Summary So-called smart growth policies are advocated as…
Read Blog Detail
A Proposal To Generate Adequate Returns From Common School Trust Lands
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Summary of Conclusions Across the Western States, approximately 80…
Read Blog Detail
Better Forest Management Can Prevent Oregon WIldfires
By Justus Armstrong Wildfires in Oregon this summer have burned thousands of acres,…
Read Blog Detail
23 Million Reasons for Metro to Repeal Its Construction Excise Tax
By Jakob Puckett How much do we have to tax something to make…
Read Blog Detail
Private Developers Leading the Way for Affordable Housing
By Rachel Dawson The Metro Council voted June 7 to place a housing…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s November Bond Measure Would Make All Housing More Costly
By John A. Charles, Jr. Metro recently decided to refer a $652.8 million…
Read Blog Detail
Is Metro’s Affordable Housing Plan Really That Affordable?
By Rachel Dawson The Metro City Council voted June 7 to place a…
Read Blog Detail
Amateur Hour at the State Land Board
By John A. Charles, Jr. Oregon owns 1.5 million acres of School Trust…
Read Blog Detail
Study: School Trust income would go up by 600% if lands were sold
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 [email protected] PORTLAND, Ore….
Read Blog Detail
Poll Shows Voters Are Smarter Than Politicians Think
By John A. Charles, Jr. In November the regional government, Metro, released the…
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
Tolling People on to Portland’s Highways
By John A. Charles, Jr. Earlier this year the state legislature passed a…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s affordable housing crisis can be attributed to restrictive land use policies
By Lydia White Affordable housing advocates are quick to criticize Portland City Council’s…
Read Blog Detail
Metro’s New Plan to Keep Voters out of Chehalem Ridge Nature Park
By John A. Charles, Jr. On October 19 the Metro Council adopted an…
Read Blog Detail
Timber Conservation and Oregon’s Constitution Shouldn’t Be at Odds
By Lydia White Last week the Idaho Department of State Lands and the…
Read Blog DetailFloor Memo Regarding Bond Funding for the Elliott State Forest
TO: Members of the Oregon Legislature FM: John Charles for Cascade Policy Institute…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Should Take the Deal
By Lydia White At a time when Legislators threaten to slash government services…
Read Blog DetailSelling Bonds to Buy the Elliott State Forest Would Be a Breach of Fiduciary Trust
By John A. Charles, Jr. State Treasurer Tobias Read has announced that he…
Read Blog DetailHow Portland’s Inclusionary Zoning Policy Makes Development Less Affordable
By Lydia White The City of Portland’s inclusionary zoning* requirements have turned a…
Read Blog DetailIt’s Finally Time to Sell the Elliott State Forest
By John A. Charles, Jr. At the February 14 meeting of the State…
Read Blog DetailLand Board Votes to Sell Elliott State Forest
By John A. Charles, Jr. On February 14 the Oregon State Land Board…
Read Blog DetailHow Much Is the Elliott State Forest Worth to Oregon Schools? (Don’t Forget the Value of Compounding)
By John A. Charles, Jr. Advocates of public schools frequently complain about the…
Read Blog DetailPortland’s Zoning Policies Make the Housing Crisis Worse
By Lydia White The masterminds behind Portland’s newest inclusionary zoning recommendations have proven…
Read Blog Detail
Using Disparate Impact to Restore Housing Affordability and Property Rights
By Randall O’Toole Executive Summary Portland, Bend, Medford, and to a lesser degree…
Read Blog DetailNew Report Highlights Civil Rights Implications of Oregon Land Use Laws, Urban Growth Boundaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. [email protected] 503-242-0900 PORTLAND, Ore….
Read Blog DetailRepeating Mistakes Is Not a Housing Strategy
The Portland City Council has approved a plan for the Housing Bureau to…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Low-Balls Elliott Timber with Fixed-Price “Bidding”
Last week the Oregon Department of State Lands announced the “fair market value”…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Low-Balls Elliott Timber at $220.8 Million
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 [email protected] PORTLAND,…
Read Blog DetailWhy is the State Land Board selling the Elliott State Forest without competitive bidding?
In August 2015 the Oregon Land Board (Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Fiction: Mansfield Park
“Wretchedly did [Sir Thomas] feel, that with all the cost and care of…
Read Blog DetailPortland Worries About Homelessness, While Metro Makes Housing Less Affordable
The Portland City Council has decided to allocate $20 million to solve a…
Read Blog Detail