Last month Governor Kate Brown gave a speech to Portland activists promising to secure carbon-pricing legislation in next year’s one-month legislative session. A few days later, she met with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and urged him to maintain or expand the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Southern Oregon. Clearly, the Governor is getting bad advice about […]
Recently the Oregon Legislature held a hearing on HB 3231, a bill promoted by Rep. Rich Vial (R-Scholls) that would authorize the formation of special districts for the purpose of constructing and operating limited-access highways. Opponents made many of the same arguments they’ve been using for decades: new highways threaten farmland; increased driving will undermine […]
Metro is asking for a new tax levy this November (Measure 26-178 on your ballot) despite the fact that it already has sufficient funds to operate all its parks. In 2002, the Metro Council enacted a garbage tax for the specific purpose of funding operations and maintenance of Metro parks. That amount was raised to […]
Portland school superintendent Carole Smith announced her resignation this week after nine years on the job. The next steps are predictable: The school board will conduct a national search for a successor and eventually sign someone to an expensive contract. After a short honeymoon, the new leader will sink into the bureaucratic quagmire and leave […]
The Portland Public School board recently voted to prohibit textbooks or classroom materials questioning the mainstream thinking about climate change. The decision has sparked an outpouring of commentary, with many writers supportive of the School Board. However, the wording of the Board resolution should greatly concern parents of Portland public school students. Resolution No. 5272 is two […]