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. […]
On Monday morning the UK’s High Court in London granted permission to Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, to appeal his extradition to the United States. But Assange supporters should be cautious before dancing in the streets. Since this case is a political charade designed to silence Assange by keeping him in legal limbo, Monday’s […]
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 […]
Many years ago, I attended Basic Youth Conflicts. A phrase you’d often hear was, “Please Be Patient. God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” He never stops working to change us to be more like Jesus. And He won’t be done until we see Him face-to-feet. “I am certain that God, who began the good […]
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 […]
Extinct in wild, these critically endangered birds are settling in at zoo’s Vollum Aviary PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Zoo is home to many critically endangered species, but perhaps none as rare as its newest arrivals: a trio of sihek (SEE-heck) kingfishers. Once native to the island of Guam, these tiny, brightly colored birds have been […]
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 […]
