40 years of failed science is enough. I’m asking Siri, Kennedy and Bigtree to make the right science happen. They can do it. In their recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, Salmon et al. finally acknowledge what many of us have known for years: the so-called comprehensive vaccine safety studies have been […]
Children are unique, with different talents, interests, and learning styles. A school that works well for one child doesn’t necessarily meet the needs of another. What if all students could attend schools that helped them learn best? Empowering parents to choose the best educational environments for their children is called school choice. School choice programs […]
Worries about the Cascadia Subduction Zone have persisted for the last 50 years. Oregon school districts have considered the possibility of a major earthquake as they build and renovate existing structures. In line with this approach, the Portland Public School district has embarked on a decades-long modernization project, most recently the proposed $491 million modernization […]
For the past 40 years, the scientific community has been aware that a major earthquake caused by the Cascadia subduction zone could strike the Pacific Northwest. Enter Multnomah County’s $895 million “Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge,” set to open in 2031. County Commissioners decided that replacing the current bridge is necessary to safeguard Portland’s lifeline routes. […]
Executive Summary U.S. taxpayers spend tens of billions of dollars a year subsidizing housing for low-income households. Previous researchers have shown that subsidized housing costs about 20 percent more per square foot than unsubsidized homes; that developers capture most of the benefits of such subsidies; and that affordable housing does little to make overall housing […]
This week the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case Johnson v. City of Grants Pass. The central question is whether local ordinances that prohibit people from camping on public property constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Eighth Amendment. Based on prior rulings in the 9th Circuit court of appeals, western states […]
This month, Cascade Policy Institute is releasing a new report explaining why government-mandated “affordable housing” doesn’t actually make housing more affordable. In The Affordable Housing Scam, author Randal O’Toole writes that while “U.S. taxpayers spend tens of billions of dollars a year subsidizing housing for low-income households,” those units cost “about 20 percent more per […]
Last week, Cascade Policy Institute provided suggestions to the Board of Portland Public Schools to reduce costs on the Jefferson High School modernization project. The project is paused due to the budget ballooning from $311 million (approved by voters in a 2020 bond issue) to $491 million. Cascade’s primary advice for the PPS Board can […]
It is time we have a scoping conversation. Executive Summary of Public Health is a Failed Model – #Plan B is the Revolutionary Reform Way Forward The traditional centralized public health system has faced significant challenges and criticisms, particularly highlighted by its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. This model, characterized by slow responses, bureaucratic inertia, […]
An elected leader who serves the people is one who sets policy, conducts public meetings, and provides administrative services. They establish long-term visions, create strategic plans, then collaboratively lead and empower others towards that shared goal. They must also give special attention to the complex financial limits of the services they provide, as well as […]
