Oregon ranks 12th worst for drugs

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In light of the recent multi-state drug bust that made history for its size, we draw attention to how Oregon ranks on the issue of drugs. Oregon ranks 12th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of drug-related issues. WalletHub divided the rankings into three…

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Newark airport scare. Lessons for Oregon

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, First, there was a blackout at the Newark airport that left air traffic control agents in the dark for a dangerous 90-seconds.  Secondly, thousands of flights surrounding Newark airport have been canceled or delayed over constant system failures. One of the problems is that airlines and airports are understaffed.…

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Legacy Health and OHSU merger is off

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, In 2023, both Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) announced the intent to merge, which at the time of the announcement of the merger would have “more than 32,000 employees and 100-plus locations, including 10 hospitals, and more than 3 million patient visits a year”. However,…

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Portland in cross hairs over sanctuary policy

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, In a report from Koin 6, President Trump has issued new executive orders that will affect Portland and all cities and states with sanctuary laws that defy U.S. federal immigration law. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the President has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to compile…

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Oregon makes top 10 stressed states (You know why)

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The most laidback place to live in the United States is Nebraska, while people living in New Mexico experience the nation’s highest levels of stress, according to a recent study by WalletHub, a personal finance website. Oregon ranked 10th in the nation for stress as measured by 40 key…

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Oldest music fest cut…death by taxes

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The Portland Blues Festival is forced to cut back days to save on costs.  It was reported in the Portland Business Journal that costs of running the concert were up 60%.  That is 60%! Costs are up 60% because there have been a 32% increase in local taxes since…

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2 MONTHS UNTIL ELECTION, PPS STILL CLUELESS ON HOW TO SPEND $1.3B

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.…

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LESSONS FROM THE LA FIRES

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…

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BILL ALLOWS PRESCHOOLS ON CHURCH PROPERTIES

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…

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