Metro Nature Parks: Inaccessible by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last month Metro auditor Brian Evans released an…
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Cascade Quarterly Spring 2023
Download the full PDF here
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The Memory Problem of Portland Public Schools
By Ethan Rohrbach For decades, Portland Public Schools (PPS) has tried to close…
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Oregon’s 2040 Electric Utility Mandates Rely on Future Technology–or Buying Electricity from Other States
By Micah DeSilva Two years ago, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2021,…
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Metro Nature Parks are Hidden by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. In June the elected Auditor for Metro published…
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Portland Needs More Than a Small Tax Break
By Sam Herrin Two weeks ago, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced plans to…
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Comments on Urban Mobility Strategy Finance Plan
John A. Charles, Jr.Cascade Policy Institute Submitted to theOregon Transportation CommissionJune 27, 2023…
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Politicians Should Stick to Politics and Leave Technology Alone
By John A. Charles, Jr. Just four days before legislative adjournment, House Bill…
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School Choice States Open Doors of Opportunity for Generations of Children
By Kathryn Hickok Three states recently expanded education options for K-12 students through…
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A Nightmare Waiting to Happen: Parking at 3000 SE Powell
By Ethan Rohrbach “3000 SE Powell Boulevard” is the name of Home Forward’s…
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The Oregon Senate has been shut down for a month. Does anyone care?
By John A. Charles, Jr. Most Republican members of the Oregon Senate have…
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More Money, Same Result
By Sam Herrin “More money, same result” is what Oregon’s Senate voted for…
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A Failure of Political Leadership
By John A. Charles, Jr. The Oregon Senate has come to a standstill…
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Replacing the I-5 Interstate Bridge Is Not a Solution for Anything
By John A. Charles, Jr. Over the next four weeks, the Oregon legislature…
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Money for Nothing
By John A. Charles, Jr. Over the next five weeks, the Oregon legislature…
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Testimony of Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Before the Oregon Senate Committee on Education
Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Cascade Policy Institute Support for HB 3068: Award high school diploma…
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Learning from Great Teachers Is a Privilege, Not a Right
By James Swyter In 2015, representatives from Portland Public Schools (PPS) gave a…
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With New Laws in Florida and Indiana, 7 States Have Universal School Choice
By Kathryn Hickok Two more states recently expanded their school choice programs, bringing…
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Homeowners, Business Owners, and Retirees: Multnomah County is Coming for Your Life Savings
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If you’re a Multnomah County homeowner, business owner, or…
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Oregon Needs More Temporary Shelter and the Means to Encourage People to Use It
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Elected officials across the state are scrambling to do…
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Oregon’s Last Mask Mandate Has Been Lifted, But State Policy Guarantees More Lockdowns in the Next Pandemic
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Earlier this month, Oregon lifted its mask mandate for…
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Time to Sound-Off on ODOT’s Tolling Proposal
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. In about 18 months, Portland-area drivers will be paying…
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Oregon Legislature Lines Up a Spending Blow-Out
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. While Oregonians are filling out their tax returns, their…
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Comments on I-205 Toll Project Environmental Assessment
Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Cascade Policy Institute Submitted to theOregon Department of TransportationApril 6, 2023…
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Portlanders Are Voting with Their Feet
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon’s economic engine is losing steam. For the second…
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ODOT Admits Its Tolls Will Make Oregonians Worse Off
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. In about 18 months, Portland-area drivers will be paying…
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A Misplaced Moral Panic Over Teen Vaping
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The moral crisis over vaping has hit the Oregon…
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Rose Quarter Highway Project Should Focus on Congestion and Traffic Safety. Period.
By John A. Charles, Jr. In 2017, when the Oregon Legislature authorized a…
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Educational Freedom: A Tale of Two Governors
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last November, voters in Arkansas elected Republican Sarah…
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HB 3068 Allows Students to Take the GED for a High School Diploma
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Cascade Policy Institute’s bill to make it easier for…
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Snowstorm Shows Taxpayers the City of Portland’s Dystopian Side
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week’s snowstorm was more than a snow-pocalypse, it…
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Letter to Senate Committee on Environment and Energy
February 27, 2023 Senate Committee on Environment and EnergyOregon LegislatureSalem, Oregon Dear Committee…
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ODOT Says Households Will Pay $575 a Year in Its First Round of Tolls
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This next week is going to be a big…
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Cascade Policy Institute Research Finds School Choice Programs Can Boost Public School Performance
February 16, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cascade Policy Institute4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.,…
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Cascade Policy Institute Research Finds School Choice Programs Can Improve Participants’ Academic Performance and Educational Attainment
February 15, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cascade Policy Institute4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.,…
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When the State Stays Silent, It’s Easy to Assume the Worst
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. What do spy balloons, a state liquor scandal, and…
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Testimony of Eric Fruits Before the House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment in Support of HB 3002
Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Vice President of ResearchCascade Policy Institute Support for HB 3002 re:…
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Press Release: Cascade Policy Institute Research Shows Education Savings Accounts Can Foster School Choice While Boosting Per-Student Funding
February 9, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cascade Policy Institute4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.,…
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Oregon Must Stop Outsourcing Policymaking to California’s Unelected Bureaucrats
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. At the end of last year, the Oregon Environmental…
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Report shows ESA programs can give students the options they need, while increasing per-student funding for those remaining in district schools
By Kathryn Hickok Cascade Policy Institute has released a new report evaluating the…
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Small Steps Toward Solving Oregon’s Education Crisis
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the “Doonesbury”…
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Education Savings Accounts Would Make Oregon Students Better Off
By Kathryn Hickok This is National School Choice Week, an annual celebration of…
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3 Ways Oregon Legislators Can Expand Options for K-12 Students Today
By Kathryn Hickok January 22-28 is National School Choice Week, a celebration of…
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Oregon Environmental Policy Now Controlled by California
By John A. Charles, Jr. On December 19, Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission voted…
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Small Steps Toward the Stone Age: Biden’s Gas Stove Ban
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. My, how time flies. Just last month, I warned…
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ODOT’s In A Tolling Hole, And It Needs To Stop Digging
Comments from Cascade Policy InstituteEric Fruits, Ph.D., Vice President of Research Oregon Department…
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ODOT Is Gassed Up and Ready to Go on Tolling: But They Don’t Know Where They’re Going
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. “We got a full tank of gas, half a…
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New Year, New Oregon?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With 2022 winding down and 2023 less than a…
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Education Savings Accounts: A School Choice Solution That Can Save States Money
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Critics of education savings accounts, or ESAs, claim that…
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Education Savings Accounts Can Boost Per-Student Spending in Public Schools
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Critics of education savings accounts, or ESAs, claim ESA…
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Research Shows Voucher Programs Boost Test Scores and Improve Educational Attainment
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs) are a subset…
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Decades of Research Finds Voucher Programs Are Associated with Improved Public School Quality
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. In recent years, school vouchers and education savings accounts…
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Cascade Quarterly Fall 2022
Download the full PDF here
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Cascade Policy Institute – to Land Board Members
Cascade Policy Institute 4850 SW Scholls Ferry Road, #103 Portland, OR 97225 December…
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Tolling’s Political Pile-Up
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If the Oregon Department of Transportation has its way,…
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Opposition to Ban on Sale of Flavored Nicotine Products
Testimony of Cascade Policy Institute Multnomah County Board of CommissionersAgenda Item PH.1 Agenda…
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Reject the Renewable Fuel Standard Update
Comments from Cascade Policy Institute Eric Fruits, Ph.D.[1] November 16, 2022 Cascade Policy…
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Multnomah County Is Going “Ban”-anas
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. First they banned styrofoam, then last week they banned…
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Education Group Works to Put School Choice on the Ballot in Oregon
By Kathryn Hickok This year, Arizona became the first state to expand eligibility…
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Let the Best Trash Man Win
By James Swyter Today, many people associate the word “monopoly” with big tech…
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Private Property Saved the Plymouth Pilgrims
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This Thanksgiving let’s give thanks to the Pilgrims who…
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2023 Should Be Oregon’s Year of Opportunity in K-12 Education
By Kathryn Hickok A June poll of Oregonians conducted by Nelson Research and…
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Magical Thinking Won’t Fill the Fuel Tank
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Portland is a world leader in magical thinking on…
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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…
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Oregon Needs a Free-Market Makeover
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D “What’s the one thing you’d do to fix Oregon?”…
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Mayor Wheeler Offers a Mixed Bag of Homelessness Solutions
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and his council…
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Portland’s “Moon Shot” to Solve Homelessness: Lessons from Apollo 13
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This week, Portland City Council is considering five resolutions…
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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…
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ADA Lawsuit Is a First Step Toward Addressing Region’s Homelessness Crisis
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. For most of us, homeless tents blocking sidewalks are…
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Yearning and Burning on the November Ballot
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This week, ballots for the November election will be…
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Walk Away from Measure 113
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. In just a few weeks, Oregon voters will be…
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Closing the Racial Learning Gap in Schools: Spending Money Is Not Enough
By James Swyter For years, policymakers in Oregon have wrung their hands over…
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Kate Brown’s Parting Gift
By John A. Charles, Jr. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is accepting…
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Oregon Ranks 40th on Heritage Foundation’s “Education Freedom Report Card”
By Kathryn Hickok The Heritage Foundation recently released its first Education Freedom Report…
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Arizona Offers All Children School Choice; Oregon Should, Too
By Kathryn Hickok This summer, Arizona expanded the nation’s first Education Savings Account…
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PCC Wants More of Your Tax Dollars to Spend Its Way out of a Slump
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The ballot for November’s election is filling up, and…
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3 Ways New Oregon Leadership Can Improve K-12 Education Fast
By Kathryn Hickok Oregon soon will have a new governor and a new…
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Biden’s Student Loan Bailout Brings Chaos to College Students
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. By now you’ve heard of President Biden’s student loan…
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Oregon’s Budget: Out-of-Control Spending and Misplaced Priorities
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If you feel like Oregon politicians are spending more,…
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Oregon Legislature Should End the GET Green Energy Fiasco
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It seems everywhere you look, “clean energy” is in…
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Biden Administration May Control School Suspensions
By James Swyter In less than two weeks, Oregon students will be heading…
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Gotta Get Rid of the GET Green Energy Boondoggle
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It seems everywhere you look, “clean energy” is in…
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Solar Panels in a Dark Room
By Taylor Marks In 2014, Fire Station 21, located on SE Madison St….
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TriMet’s Electric Bus Plans Could Burst into Flames
By Mia Tiwana Connecticut’s bus service just pulled its entire fleet of electric…
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Portland’s Clean Energy Fund Didn’t Deserve a Green Light
By James Swyter and Mia Tiwana This month, Portland City Council approved $118…
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Local Governments Must Change Course to Fix Their Policy Crises
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Things are not going well in the Portland region….
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Cascade Quarterly Summer 2022
Download the full PDF here
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This Green Fund Doesn’t Deserve a Green Light
By Mia Tiwana Have you heard of the Portland Clean Energy Fund? Portlanders…
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Welcome to Portland, Where Getting a Job Is Easy but Staying Safe Is Hard
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Two of my kids are young adults working retail….
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Portland’s all-or-nothing city charter ballot measure may add up to no reforms at all
By Taylor Marks Too much, all at once. Portland’s city charter is long…
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Lights Out: A Lesson in Local Government
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, an Oregonian story reported that for years,…
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The $60 Million Question for Portland Public Schools: Where is the Money Going?
Projected spending for the Center for Black Student Excellence may violate Oregon Law…
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Portland’s “EV Ready Code” Isn’t That Electric
By Mia Tiwana Portland City Council is trying its best to bring electric…
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Portland Needs More Than Zoning Changes to Increase Housing Supply
By Taylor Marks Starting July 1, Portland property owners will have new choices…
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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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Portland Public Schools Needs a Plan for Declining Enrollment
By Mia Tiwana This year, Portland Public Schools is in a financial sweet…
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Plans Are in Place to Force Oregonians to Pay for the Privilege of Waiting in Traffic
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Are you ready to pay a toll to cross…
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The MAX Yellow Line Doesn’t Deserve a Green Light
By Taylor Marks Over-promised and under-delivered. Throughout its 18-year life, TriMet’s Yellow Line…
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Press Release: The $60 Million Question: Cascade Policy Institute Questions PPS Bond Spending
May 24, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Office: (503) 242-0900eric@cascadepolicy.org…
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The $60 Million Question: What Is the Center for Black Student Excellence?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. and Mia Tiwana Executive Summary In November 2020, Portland…
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