A service of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation.
Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: Oregon’s regional economies remain strong. Most regions are modestly below their peak growth rates of the cycle and look like they are in a mature phase of the business cycle. Highlights of this month’s report include: – For all regions, moving average measures (which smooth monthly volatility) remain above zero, indicating…
Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, Nov.16th, 2016 Portland, Oregon is famous for its modish devotion to organic foods and craft beers. Now the city is embracing a new trend that could leave local workers with a very bitter aftertaste. It’s a fresh tax on business and it could be coming to a city near you,…
Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Release, September numbers were mostly positive Oregon’s regional economies. Underling trends continue to indicate solid growth. Highlights of this month’s report include: – For all regions, moving average measures (which smooth monthly volatility) remain above zero, indicating above average activity. Recall that these figures measure…
A good test of budget growth versus people’s ability to pay is comparing it against population and inflation combined.
1996 – $56 million DMV software crash (1) 1999 – $200 million over-time scandal (2) 2000 – $1.4 billion the state neglected to collect (3) 2005 – $524 million hidden school fund uncovered by media (4) 2006 – $40 million in DUI fines un-collected (5) 2008 – $60 million Data Center boondoggle (6) 2009 –…
Looking at 35 years of Oregon State Budget Growth shows that Oregon has had a near perfect streak of positive growth except for one budget cycle.
An analysis by the Oregon Employment Department data on job growth shows that Oregon is adding new government jobs at a fast pace. In 2014, Oregon added 4,600 new government jobs, 5,400 added in 2015 and 5,800 for 2016. There are some periods where employment slows or declines, but the three year trend is fast…
A report from the State Legislative Fiscal Office and the Statesman Journal (3/1/16) compare numbers between state employees and average Oregonians worker salaries including benefits. The numbers show that State Employees ($89,000) make nearly double what average Oregonians make ($45,893).
Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins released the annual report on Oregon’s government waste hotline. In 2015, the hotline received 243 initial reports. This continues an upward trend: there were 180 reports in 2014, 154 in 2013, and 145 in 2012. Data prior to 2011 is not comparable due to changes in the reporting system.…
Oregon state & local government spend more per capita in the West and more than 39 other states. You can compare on the chart below.