The Sierra Club and other environmental groups are objecting to PGE’s plan for new, natural gas-powered generation to help replace the electrical output that will be lost when PGE shuts down the Boardman coal plant in 2020. What these groups should admit is that they are the ones responsible for that decision.
Metro is asking for a new tax levy this November (Measure 26-178 on your ballot) despite the fact that it already has sufficient funds to operate all its parks. In 2002, the Metro Council enacted a garbage tax for the specific purpose of funding operations and maintenance of Metro parks. That amount was raised to […]
In 2006, the Metro Council submitted to the voters a general obligation bond measure in the amount of $227.4 million to fund natural area acquisition. The measure was approved. In a little-noticed appendix to Resolution No. 06-367A, the Metro Council stated that greenway lands acquired with bond funds would be land-banked with limited maintenance beyond […]
Proponents of Measure 97 have consistently claimed that if the measure passes, it will generate an additional $3 billion annually for public education and other social services. Judging from the comments I’ve read in various Oregon newspapers, many people are falling for this argument. Apparently none of the letter writers have ever watched a legislative […]
Portland school superintendent Carole Smith announced her resignation this week after nine years on the job. The next steps are predictable: The school board will conduct a national search for a successor and eventually sign someone to an expensive contract. After a short honeymoon, the new leader will sink into the bureaucratic quagmire and leave […]
The Portland Public School board recently voted to prohibit textbooks or classroom materials questioning the mainstream thinking about climate change. The decision has sparked an outpouring of commentary, with many writers supportive of the School Board. However, the wording of the Board resolution should greatly concern parents of Portland public school students. Resolution No. 5272 is two […]
If Gambling Is a Problem, Who Is Responsible? Governor Kate Brown opposes a plan by the Coquille Indian Tribe to build a casino in Medford. In her public statement, the Governor said she opposes the addition of any more casinos because “even a single additional casino is likely to lead to significant efforts to expand […]