It’s budget season for local governments in Oregon. Budgets may sound boring. In reality, they are the best demonstration of what politicians truly prioritize. Forget the campaign promises and the press releases. The budget is where the action is. This year, there is a line item tucked into the City of Portland budget for Prosper […]
I can’t get through the gate. The gate is narrow. -Drew Brees, athlete It was cold and drizzly on the early morning of January 5, 2021. Standing outside the door to the main lobby, newly elected Commissioner Mark Shull, second day on the job, was trying to keep warm while attempting to get into the […]
Last month, Portland City Council approved $118 million in grants to local nonprofits from the city’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund. That’s a huge amount of money at risk of being squandered on hugely speculative projects. In 2018, Portland voters approved the measure by a 2-to-1 margin. The measure requires larger retailers to pay a […]
Since when did Commissioners have the authority to regulate offices of other Elected Officials by claiming an emergency if they can identify malfeasance in office, or willful or wanton neglect of duty or failure to meet statutory requirements? This stuffing of language into the Emergency Regulations 6.03 ordinance which comes from State Statue 401 developed […]
Prior to COVID-19, medical errors were the THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in the US. That’s STUNNING: No one in their right mind should entrust their lives to for-profit medicine. Most Americans won’t remember this, but prior to the 1980’s, the very thought of a medical practice turning massive profits was considered highly unethical. All […]
With only a small percentage of Americans accepting COVID-19 vaccine second shots, CDC calls for an end to quarantine, screening and offers a mild nudge toward masking. Timing says it all. Proving that public health’s response to COVID-19 was skewed by politics, two days after the FBI raided former President Donald J. Trump’s personal residence […]
Connecticut’s bus service just pulled its entire fleet of electric buses after one bus burst into uncontrollable flames. While the small risk of an electric bus fire is scary, Portland’s TriMet could face huge financial fires if it continues growing its electric fleet. The upfront costs to go electric are high, and TriMet has no […]
Last week Cascade Policy Institute released a new research report finding wasteful spending in Oregon’s 1.5% for Green Energy Technology program, known as GET. Under the program, any government construction or renovation project costing $5 million or more must spend 1.5% of the budget on green energy technologies. These technologies can include solar, woody biomass, […]
By January 2021 the Oregon fabric of society was on fire. The people of Clackamas County were living with angst and helplessness. The second year of lock down was now starting. Citizens were completely burned out from bearing the brunt of unemployment, business shutdown, children at home instead of school, and their own psychological deterioration. […]
There are genuine concerns about election integrity in Oregon. Vote by Mail has come under fire as we head towards the November election. “Ballot harvesting” and worries about electronic voting machines have dominated the list. It’s important to understand Oregon’s election system when trying to separate facts from rumors. 29 States rely on online voting […]
