A service of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation.
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The Portland Public Schools board recently discussed plans to modernize three high schools: Jefferson, Ida B. Wells, and Cleveland. The board is trying to balance creating high-quality schools with keeping costs down, but it is running out of time to finalize details before Election Day in about two months.…
The LA Fires: Interim Report by Rick Campbell An Oregon writer, We are now about two months out from the disastrous Palasades and Eaton fires which struck Altadena, Pacific Palasades, and parts of Pasadena and Malibu, California. The ashes are barely cool, and final reports are many years away. But we can now look at…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Oregon Senate Bill (SB1099) allows counties and cities to establish preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten programs on the properties of places of worship. This bill allows religious organizations to include these lower levels grades into their existing system and retain the protections they have under current State law. As a…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A newly formed City Council committee met this week to address Portland’s economic woes, and the picture painted was far from rosy. A report presented by Prosper Portland and ECONorthwest revealed alarming trends that should worry any taxpayer: population decline, job losses, and a hollowing out of the central city. While the…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The nationwide craft store chain, Joann’s, is closing 15 Oregon stores as part of their 500 store closure. Some of this is due to the decline of hobbying nationwide. More seriously, it is the result of a decline in discretionary income which is a factor of inflation. This…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Like their counterparts across the nation, Portland’s 19,000 federal workers—and more than 10,000 more throughout the state—are bracing for layoffs as President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency look to trim the federal government, according to The Portland Business Journal. Washington had about 80,000 federal workers last…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A $500 million water filtration facility was approved by Portland City Council in 2017. It has been delayed since, and has now seen the price tag jump to $2 billion. Land-use use bureaucracy and environmental resistance has helped to balloon the price. That is not the first time a…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Portland, saw decrease in homicides, from 77 to 71 in 2024. Portland had more homicides than Seattle and Denver in 2024, despite having fewer people. Portland’s decline reflects a national trend last year for cities (for the 6-months for which is has been recorded) which was a steep decline.…
Oregon lost 3,700 jobs in hospitality, manufacturing, financial activities, and retail trade jobs. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Private jobs are shrinking while government jobs are growing. The Oregon Employment Department reported in December that Oregon had a total of -1,900 jobs in hospitality, -1,800 in manufacturing, -1,000 in financial activities, and -900 in…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, As the chart shows, Oregon has been paying nearly 50-cent more per gallon than the national average, and Oregon is neighbor to a major oil refinery state. Also, California is sky high above the national gas price average. You are paying a lot more at the gas pump because…