Portland is a world leader in magical thinking on climate change. Last Wednesday, we saw the City Council wave its magic wand yet again, when it considered banning petroleum diesel in Portland by 2030. Only so-called renewable diesel will be available within the city limits. City staffers and proponents of the ban are confident the […]
In just a few weeks, Oregon voters will be getting their ballots in the mail. In addition to voting for a new governor, legislators, and members of Congress, Oregonians will face several ballot measures. There are always a bunch of bad ones, and Measure 113 is one of the worst. Measure 113 amends the state […]
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is accepting public comments on proposed regulations that would ban the sale of new gasoline or diesel-powered cars and light trucks after 2034. The only new cars available would be electric vehicles (EVs). These regulations were first adopted by the state of California on August 25. Now Kate Brown […]
The Heritage Foundation recently released its first Education Freedom Report Card. The report analyzes and ranks each state’s “education freedom” according to factors related to school choice, transparency, regulatory freedom, and spending. The report seeks to assess what states do well, identify where they can improve, and help policymakers achieve real reforms. Florida takes first […]
This summer, Arizona expanded the nation’s first Education Savings Account (ESA) program. Every child in Arizona is now eligible to choose an Empowerment Scholarship Account. Parents who want to opt out of their zoned public schools can choose to receive 90 percent of the state’s per-student base funding (about $7,000 in 2022). They may use their […]
The ballot for November’s election is filling up, and a lot of local governments are trying to reach into your pocket for more of your tax dollars. Some of them are real doozies, like Portland Community College’s construction bond measure. In 2017, PCC voters approved $185 million in new property taxes for construction projects. In […]
Oregon soon will have a new governor and a new state legislature. Fresh leadership provides opportunities to respond to parents’ demand for expanded choices in K-12 education. During the past three school years, parents have taken a hard look at their district schools. Increasingly, parents don’t believe one-size-fits-all public schools work for their children, and […]
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 […]
This year, Portland Public Schools is in a financial sweet spot. Federal and state COVID relief funds will add nearly $100 million to the district’s coffers. But, much of that one-time money will be gone. Since the pandemic began, parents have increasingly favored alternatives to their district schools, including public charter schools, private schools, homeschooling, […]
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 […]
