Last month, the Oregonian excitedly reported some great news: From 2010 to 2019, our great state had the fastest income growth in the entire country. For any doubters out there, the paper tells us, “the numbers are clear as day.” However, there are doubters. Economists working for the state are “flummoxed,” according to the article. […]
Once reserved only for emergencies and dangerous weather, shutdowns at Oregon public schools have become commonplace for disciplinary reasons, adult staffing shortages, and lesson planning. In November, Reynolds Middle School canceled in-person learning for three weeks because of fights and disruptive behavior. After two years of online learning, many students are finding it difficult to […]
The Tigard City Council is going through the motions of adopting a new land use plan for the 827-acre area known as the Washington Square Regional Center. When adopted, it will replace the existing plan, which was approved in 1999. If you were not aware that there was a “regional plan” for the Washington Square […]
Economist Milton Friedman passed away 15 years ago this week. In celebration of his life, I’d like to recount part of his interview with ultra-liberal talk show host Phil Donahue. Donahue asked, “When you see the greed and the concentration of power, did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed’s […]
Portland General Electric is living a virtual power plant pipe dream, and ratepayers need it to come back to reality. PGE recently told regulators that “it is estimated that as much as 25% of flexibility could come from customers and distributed energy resources (DERs)” on the hottest and coldest days by 2030, from sources including […]
In a recent November special election, Lincoln County approved a ballot measure that imposes restrictions and bans on short-term rental housing, such as vacation rentals and Airbnbs. In some areas of unincorporated Lincoln County, existing short-term rentals will be phased out over the next five years, and permits for new rentals will no longer be […]
This fall, Oregon children began their third school year since the COVID-19 pandemic began. What started as two weeks of remote learning in March 2020 turned into a year outside the classroom for most K-12 students. Pandemic-related government and teachers’ union policies have disappointed and angered parents as their children fell behind, developed an aversion […]
Just over a year ago the Portland City Council cut millions from the police bureau, eliminating 84 positions. Prior to April 2021, 115 police officers left the bureau to either retire early or work in a different city, leaving 129 vacancies. Those absences are being felt across the Metro area. Portland police responded to 14 […]
Over the course of more than 25 years, Metro’s parks and nature program has developed a long record of failing to serve its constituents. Since the parks and nature program launched, the Metro regional government has received close to $1 billion in funding and purchased more than 14,000 acres of land. Yet, only 12% of […]
Oregon elected officials and appointed staff love to claim they base their decisions on the best and most accurate data available. A recent Oregon Department of Transportation study demonstrates that this often isn’t the case. In fact, staff are knowingly using inaccurate data to reach seemingly favorable conclusions. ODOT’s Climate Office Program Manager admitted in […]