Dear PPS Bond Committee: Please Tell the Taxpayers
By John A. Charles, Jr. Cascade’s president, John Charles, testified online at the…
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Acton Dinner: “The Future of Faith and Freedom” with Rev. Robert A. Sirico
By Naomi Inman On October 21, the Acton Institute held its Portland Dinner…
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PPS Bond M26-259
Author: Naomi Inman, naomi@cascadepolicy.org PPS Bond Measure 26-259 isToo BigToo VaguePoorly Managed Hit…
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Policy Picnic – Oregon’s Disappearing Electricity Supply
Please join Cascade Policy Institute for our Policy Picnic featuring CEO John Charles…
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The Ghost Train
By Sam Herrin Metro’s 2023 Regional Transportation Plan calls for expanding many different…
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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
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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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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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More Money, Same Result
By Sam Herrin “More money, same result” is what Oregon’s Senate voted for…
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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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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’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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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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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 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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A Holiday Wishlist for Oregon
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. ‘Tis the season for holiday wishes. And, toward that…
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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
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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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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
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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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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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Press Release: The I-5 Bridge Replacement Project’s Administrators Are Misleading State Legislators About Light Rail
May 19, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts:Micah PerryOffice: (503) 242-0900Mobile: (303) 330-3855micah@cascadepolicy.org…
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It’s Election Night: Do You Know Where Your Ballot Is?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. By the time you’re reading this, your May primary…
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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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Lift the Cap on Oregon Charter Schools
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Next week is National Charter Schools Week. Oregon passed…
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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…
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Poll: 72% Believe Parents Should Have School Choice
By Kathryn Hickok The last two years have made it clear: Oregon parents…
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Better Late Than Never at the Expo Center
By Micah Perry For years, Portland residents have dealt with homeless individuals parking…
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Roads Are Infrastructure Worthy of Investment
By Micah Perry The Oregon Transportation Commission recently decided how to allocate $412…
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Are Taxes Driving People Out of Portland?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The Census just released the latest population estimates and,…
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Fossil Fuels Are Not Going Anywhere
By John A. Charles, Jr. Many Oregon politicians have convinced themselves that we…
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Oregon Secretary of State Says No “Clear Purpose” for Mortgage Tax Deduction
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This time they’re coming for your home. Earlier this…
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Oregonians Want More Hospital Beds. The Oregon Health Authority Is Standing in the Way.
By Micah Perry According to a new survey from the Oregon Values and…
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