Portland CEO tax makes national news

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,…

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Oregon sees steady growth

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…

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20 years of the worst scandals, costly mistakes

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 –…

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Oregon adds 17 new government jobs a day

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…

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Reports to Government Waste hotline up 35%

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.…

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Nearly 80% of Oregonians blind to PERS disaster

Poll: 78% unaware of PERS disaster By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Oregon’s public employee retirements system (PERS) is now a staggering $20-$22 billion in unfunded liability. Just this week it was announced that it grew by another $3 billion and made front page news. A 2015 telephone poll of 300 Oregonians by the Taxpayer…

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