By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation According to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon needs to build 550,000 houses over the next 20 years. That’s on top of the 140,000 needed right now due to underbuilding in the last decade. Given that the Agency’s rule making body, the Land Conservation and Development…
Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In the largest disbursement of funds by Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program yet, the Treasury will return about $10 million in unclaimed funds as part of the “Checks Without Claims” initiative. Individuals usually need to file a claim with Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program to receive the money they are owed. “Checks…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In an attempt to decarbonize the environment, the Milwaukie City Council recently voted 3-2 to ban gas piping from connecting to new residential buildings after March 1, 2024, and unanimously approved a measure to begin replacing gas systems in city buildings with electrical energy, according to the Portland Business Journal.…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The CEO of Oregon Food Bank says that they serve over 1.5 million Oregonians. The Salem Reporter says, “Susannah Morgan, CEO of the Oregon Food Bank, the state’s primary hunger relief organization, estimates 1.5 million people will have visited the state’s food banks and pantries by the end of the year…Stubborn…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The signal was loud and clear this morning that liberal tax-and-spend lawmakers are coming after your kicker. Today in Salem, the state’s economists gave their quarterly revenue forecast to an interim committee of lawmakers. Surprisingly, even with high prices and increased interest rates, economists are still projecting short term…
By Taxpayers Foundation of Oregon Novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $44 million to the Portland-based nonprofit Friends of the Children to bolster the program that pairs mentoring adults with at-risk children to guide them for a dozen years. The gift will be divided among the national Friends program, which will receive $15 million, and…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Hundreds of people in downtown Portland joined counterparts around the world Oct. 1 to protest the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman killed after being arrested for wearing her head scarf improperly, according to KGW. Protesters took to the streets to draw attention to the lack of women’s rights in the…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation People using natural gas in Oregon may see their rates increase by double digits—between 16 percent and 36 percent—if three private companies distributing their fuel receive approval from the Public Utility Commission, according to the Portland Business Journal. The investor-owned companies citing higher wholesale prices for natural gas want…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The National Academy of Sciences has retracted a paper edited by Oregon State University Professor Jane Lubchenco who also serves as a White House advisor on climate issues. The National Academy of Sciences additionally barred from the organization. The science group blasted her report on the impact of fisheries…
OREGON TAXPAYER SURVEY RESULTS Last Fall, over 2,000 Oregon taxpayers shared their opinions on the best reform ideas being debated around the nation. Here are the results: RESTRUCTURING OREGON Among ideas to restructure Oregon, the highest ranking was the plan to return federal land back to local control. Roughly 93% approved of plan…