Ballot Measures with No Accountability Deserve a No Vote
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. We all need to raise questions about our politicians’…
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Portland Gas Tax: Big Dollars, Minuscule Results
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This May, Portland voters will be asked to renew…
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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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The Upcoming PERS Crisis: The system is facing a $30 billion shortfall—radical reform is needed
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Coronavirus has hit the economy hard. Nearly all the…
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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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Tax Relief Can Slow the Spread of COVID-19 Financial Panic
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The coronavirus is already taking a toll on our…
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Metro’s Housing Tax Requires Serious Oversight
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. At the first—and likely only—public hearing on Metro’s “supportive…
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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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Why are rural, low-income residents subsidizing Teslas for Oregon’s urban elite?
By Rachel Dawson Oregon state officials recently celebrated helping the state reach 25,000…
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New Year, New Tax: What You Need to Know About Oregon’s Gross Receipts Tax
By Katie Eyre, CPA The 2019 Oregon Legislature established a new tax affecting…
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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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Oregon Distilleries Deserve Better
By Helen Cook Oregon has a booming craft distilling industry. That’s why it’s…
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Metro Wants More Money—For Parks You May Never See
How much would you be willing to spend to buy parkland that would…
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Press Release: Cascade Policy Institute Urges a NO Vote on Measure 26-203
Cascade Policy Institute Urges a NO Vote on Measure 26-203 Voters should reject…
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Dumbing Down Voters
By John A. Charles, Jr. In 2016 Val Hoyle, then a legislator from…
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Portland’s Temporary Gas Tax Should Stay Just That
By Rachel Dawson Portland’s temporary gas tax should stay just that: temporary. Portland…
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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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Stop Raising Rents in Portland
By Micah Perry On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, the Portland City Council passed…
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Metro: Where Temporary Means Forever
By Rachel Dawson Milton Friedman once famously said that “nothing is more permanent…
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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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Portland’s Clean Energy Tax: A High Cost with Low Benefit
By Rachel Dawson In January 2019 the City of Portland implemented a voter-approved…
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Public Debt for Public Housing
By Vlad Yurlov In the 2018 general election, voters approved a bond measure…
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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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Oregon Legislator to Oregon Business: “Let ‘em Leave!”
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. “Let ’em leave. Someone else’ll come in.” That was…
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SW Corridor Project: A Net Negative for the Environment
By John A. Charles, Jr. Portland politicians claim to be concerned about carbon…
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Press Release: Multi-year case study of Multnomah County’s Sellwood Bridge explains the history behind worsening traffic congestion in the SE Portland bridge corridor
June 6, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900…
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Carbon Regulation: Another Legislative Circus
By John A. Charles, Jr. According to the state’s Global Warming Commission, Oregon…
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Why Record-Breaking Revenues Aren’t Enough
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This week, Oregon is facing a one-day teacher strike,…
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May 8 Should Be Declared “Fix PERS Now Day”
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The Oregon Education Association is organizing a statewide walk-out…
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A Trio of Terrible Bills for Oregon Employers
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Apparently, there is no limit to the Oregon legislature’s…
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There’s No Such Thing As a Free Government
By Miranda Bonifield April 16 was the first day of 2019 where the…
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Portland’s Affordable Housing Bond: Nothing for Money
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Remember that song about getting money for nothing? In…
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Read My Lips: Metro’s Promises Are Doubtful at Best
By Miranda Bonifield There’s nothing so permanent as a temporary government program, and…
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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…
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What’s Causing Oregon’s “Housing Affordability Crisis”?
By Miranda Bonifield Here’s a question for you: Why is housing so expensive…
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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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Cap and Trade in Oregon: All Pain, No Gain
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The Oregon legislature is expected to pass a carbon cap-and-trade…
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Rent Control Is a Steal
By Miranda Bonifield Remember that emotional final episode of the now-classic sitcom Friends?…
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Education Savings Accounts: Fiscal Analysis of a Proposed Universal ESA in Oregon
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Executive Summary Education Savings Accounts deposit a percentage of…
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More Money for Schools Is Meaningless Without Controlling PERS Costs
By John A. Charles, Jr. Several members of the Portland Public Schools Community…
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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….
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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…
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ODOT’s Passenger Rail Project Equals Increasing Costs, High Taxpayer Subsidies
By Justus Armstrong The Oregon Department of Transportation recently published its Tier 1…
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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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QuickPoint! – “They Left Out Radio!” – The Human Genius Behind Economic Growth
By Kathryn Hickok Bull market? Bear market? Growth? Uncertainty? What does 2019 have…
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Fake Leadership
By John A. Charles, Jr. Governor Kate Brown’s proposed two-year general fund budget…
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Metro Should Let Transit Customers Drive Transportation Innovation
By Justus Armstrong ABC’s Shark Tank may be coming to the Portland region—not…
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Another Tax Increase from Kate Brown
By John A. Charles, Jr. Governor Kate Brown’s top health care administrator is…
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Metro’s Bond Measure 26-199 Raises Taxes on Homeowners, Requires No Accountability for Money Spent
By Miranda Bonifield Metro claims Measure 26-199 is designed to address affordable housing,…
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Electric Buses: Another Costly Fad
By John A. Charles, Jr. The TriMet Board recently approved a plan to…
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The Kicker Debate Continues
By Steve Buckstein Because of Oregon’s recent and projected strong economy, a personal “kicker”…
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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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23 Million Reasons for Metro to Repeal Its Construction Excise Tax
By Jakob Puckett How much do we have to tax something to make…
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Private Developers Leading the Way for Affordable Housing
By Rachel Dawson The Metro Council voted June 7 to place a housing…
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Metro’s Waste Reduction Program Lacks Direction and Accountability
By Justus Armstrong This October, the Portland-area Metro Council will award the first…
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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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Supreme Court deals big setback to labor unions, local groups gather in Portland / Published in KATU
The Supreme Court issued a ruling in an Illinois labor case Wednesday that…
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Local unions react the ruling by the Supreme Court / Published in KVAL Eugene Oregon
EUGENE, Ore. – Top public employee unions in Oregon are less than pleased…
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Supreme Court Decisions Deals Blow to Labor Unions / Published in KAST 1370AM
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers can’t be forced to contribute…
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Direct Primary Care Puts Patients First, Lowers Health Care Costs
By Justus Armstrong Could forgoing health insurance make health care more affordable? That’s…
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Is Metro’s Affordable Housing Plan Really That Affordable?
By Rachel Dawson The Metro City Council voted June 7 to place a…
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Time to Stop the PERS Pac-Man from Eating Teachers’ Salaries and Taxpayers’ Pocketbooks
By Steve Buckstein What do Pac-Man and public pensions have in common? An…
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How the PERS Pac-Man Eats Teacher Salaries
By Steve Buckstein and Kathryn Hickok What do Pac-Man and public pensions have…
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New Transportation Tax Is on the Wrong Side of History
By John A. Charles, Jr. Oregon employers began receiving notices this week regarding…
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Underestimating Public School Spending
By Steve Buckstein A 2017 national poll on education issues found, among other…
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Throwing Money at Homelessness Is a Failed Strategy
By John A. Charles, Jr. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler hopes to spend $31…
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What’s Better for Low-Skilled Workers: Higher Minimum Wages or Lower Taxes?
By Kathryn Hickok What’s better for welfare recipients and low-skilled workers: a higher…
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End PERS—For a Day!
By Steve Buckstein Most Oregonians know that our state’s Public Employees Retirement System…
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TriMet Shows Public Pension Reform Is Possible
By John A. Charles, Jr. The Oregon legislature recently adjourned and once again…
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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….
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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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TriMet Shows That Public Pension Reform Is Possible
By Scott Shepard and John A. Charles, Jr. The Oregon Legislature is currently…
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Following in TriMet’s Tracks: Defined-Contribution Pensions a Necessary First Step to Oregon’s Fiscal Health
By Scott Shepard Scott Shepard is a lawyer and was a visiting law…
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If Health Care Becomes a “Fundamental Right,” Who Pays for It?
By Steve Buckstein The Oregon House of Representatives has voted for HJR 203,…
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Innovative Technology Can Reduce Tobacco Harm and Save Oregonians Tax Dollars
By Steve Buckstein To eventually end cigarette use in America, rather than rely…
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Poll Shows Voters Are Smarter Than Politicians Think
By John A. Charles, Jr. In November the regional government, Metro, released the…
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Measure 101 Deserves Your No Vote
By Steve Buckstein By now you should have your ballot for the January…
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Taxpayers Aren’t at Fault for Oregon’s Abysmal Graduation Rate
By Kathryn Hickok Willamette Week recently reported that, sadly, Oregon has the third-lowest…
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Don’t Allow the Skimming of Medicaid Funds for Unions
By Aaron Withe and Steve Buckstein Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars…
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Winning Is Not the Only Thing That Matters
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last Friday the Republican-controlled Senate passed a 479-page…
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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…
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Vote NO on Health Care Tax Measure 101
By Steve Buckstein Oregonians will have the opportunity in January to vote No…
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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…
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When Is a Health Care Tax Not a Tax?
By Steve Buckstein Oregon state legislators who voted for you to pay higher…
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“Shuffling” Is for Playing Cards, Not School Kids
By Kathryn Hickok Portland Public Schools is redrawing the boundaries of more than…
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Too Late to Fix PERS by Fooling Oregonians
By Scott Shepard Governor Kate Brown’s task force, assigned to find ways to…
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Health Care Tax Would Hurt Middle Class
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Many Oregonians are now spending as much on health…
Read Blog DetailGovernor Brown Wants Oregonians to “Take One for the Global Team” over CO2
By John A. Charles, Jr. Oregon Governor Kate Brown has announced her intention…
Read Blog DetailWhose Money Is Your Oregon Kicker Refund?
By Steve Buckstein and Kathryn Hickok State economists have confirmed that individual Oregon…
Read Blog DetailCascade Policy Institute Endorses Referendum 301 to Stop New Health Care Taxes on Oregonians
August 2, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Steve Buckstein (503) 242-0900 [email protected]…
Read Blog DetailOregon’s New Health Care Taxes Are Unjustifiable
By Lydia White Soon after the Oregon Legislature passed a bill expected to generate $550…
Read Blog DetailStop Health Care Taxes dot com
By Steve Buckstein The Oregon legislature just passed, and the Governor signed, a…
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Transportation Finance Isn’t as Complicated as Legislators Make It
By John A. Charles, Jr. Some members of the Oregon Legislature think you…
Read Blog DetailKicker Envy 2017
By Steve Buckstein Individual Oregon income taxpayers may receive kicker refunds when they…
Read Blog DetailOvertaxed and Underbuilt
By John A. Charles, Jr. An Oregon Legislative committee is proposing a massive…
Read Blog DetailOregon Legislature Should Make It Easier for Individuals to Enter the Landscaping Business
Below is a letter being distributed to all members of the Oregon House…
Read Blog DetailOregon Taxpayers, Not Riders, Pay Most Costs of Public Transit Operations
By John A. Charles, Jr. In a recent interview with the Portland Business…
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