A service of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation.
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Intel announced that it is laying off 1,200 Oregon workers in the Portland Metro area. Nationwide, Intel is expected to lay off a total of 15,000 workers. This comes after Biden awarded Intel $8 billion in CHIPS Act grants. This means the industry as a whole is in deep…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, As Axios reports, drug deaths via overdose are steeply falling across the United States, just not in Oregon or Alaska. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from the dates of May of 2023 and April of 2024, Oregon witnessed nearly 1,900 overdose deaths.…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Oregon is witnessing a near 20% decline in hop crop harvesting. This is the second year in a row. This follows a national decline in beer sales. At the same time of Oregon’s 20% drop, local politicians are pushing an alcohol tax on Oregonians to discourage drinking among adults…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, In light of Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, visit to Congress this week, we created this graphic to map out the Israel-Hamas conflict. As the graphic shows, Israel is being attacked by forces within six different nations, all supplied by Iran. It also shows some of the 120 attacks…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Absenteeism that started with the Covid-19 pandemic has morphed into a crisis with nearly half of all Oregon students listed as chronically absent in a newly released 2024 Kids County Data Book report. The data book, which evaluates the well-being of children throughout all 50 states, ranked Oregon children…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Portland city officials cleared 4,000 homeless encampments last year after a 2022 lawsuit contended tents blocked access on public sidewalks needed by people with disabilities, which equated to between 8,000 and 12,000 tents. But at the same time, the Joint Office of Homeless Services—a collaboration between the city and…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Inflation rose in recent months, with year-over-year inflation holding steady around three percent. Healing supply chains, and slower wage gains are largely responsible for slowing the rate from 2022, but inflation is still far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. The Fed believes that inflation will slow further in…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Unintentional accounting errors by Oregon state officials totaled $2.9 billion in 2023, state auditors concluded. That means state agencies failed to keep clear track of extra tax money received during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office reported. Auditors who reviewed paperwork from 18 federal programs allocating…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Officials at Reynolds High School in Troutdale refused to let graduates who enlisted in the military wear the stoles of their chosen armed services branches, prompting outrage from their families. Angel Lopez Lane, who enlisted in the Marines, planned to wear his stole when he crossed the stage to…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Here is some data point from the job numbers: • Foreign born workers (which includes illegal migrants) vastly outpaced American born workers. • 433,000 people have left the labor force in May 2024. • 100,000 of these workers being defined as discouraged workers. • Those holding multiple jobs increased…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon & Foundation OregonWatchdog.com Here are the top 10 brands/products that are boycotted by Oregonians over politics. 21% – Target 17% – Disney 16% – Budweiser 11% – Nike 8% – Starbucks 6% – Coca-Cola 5% – Ben & Jerry’s 4% – Ford Motor Company 4% – GAP 3% – Facebook…
(Photo: TAO co-Founder, Don McIntire, in his earlier days (1990) campaigning fro Measure 5 which cut your property taxes 40%. (right) TAO co-founder, Jason Williams, at a Measure 30 petition drive to defeat the billion-dollar income tax. This cut your income taxes by 10%) By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Here is a history of…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon & Foundation, We know there is a lot of negativity and bad news in Oregon … … so we aimed to try focus on the positive. We asked Taxpayers Association of Oregon supporters which elected officials are doing a great job. There were 422 responses highlighting 40 elected officials, and…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A burglar broke into St. Michael the Archangel Church in downtown Portland three times in one week and stole sacred items. The church is offered a $1,000 reward for return of its sacred tabernacle and a holy item inside it. It was later discovered in a garbage dumpster. Father…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation About 10 percent fewer Oregonians are heading to college after high school graduation than the number who did so a decade ago, a change partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2011, about 65 percent of high school students attended community college or a university or trade school within…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The Oregon Nurses Association is part of a 3,000 nurse strike in six different Providence health centers. The Union is now asking other nurses not to show up to fill-in lost nurses to hospitals. KPTV reports, “The [union] letter provided by Providence said in part, “Providence is trying to…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A burglar broke into St. Michael the Archangel Church in downtown Portland three times in one week and stole sacred items, which parishioners want returned.t. The church is offering a $1,000 reward for return of its sacred tabernacle and a holy item inside it. Father Ignacio Llorente said video…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation EO Media Group which operates a dozen Oregon newspapers will be giving layoffs or cutting hours to nearly 50 Oregon employees. The Portland Tribune has sold its top publications and well as over 20 other Oregon media outlets which represent some of Oregon’s most well-known newspapers. The Taxpayers Association…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, There are more big signs of decline in the print industry. The Eugene Register Guard used to have 80 reporters, and is now down to 6 or less. The Eugene Register Guard, before the pandemic, had at one point 40,000 subscribers, by 2021 it fell to just over 20,000.…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, New federal data reveal that Oregon is among the top five states for having the least amount children per population. The other states are Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Driving down the child-rate is the high number of families with young children who are emigrating out of Oregon. At…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation A survey of Taxpayers Association of Oregon and Foundation supporters drew over 420 responses to the question on whether Congress should ban Tik Tok if the company does not divest itself from China ownership. Roughly 87% approved the ban, 9% disproved, and 4% said undecided. While the issue was…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Police have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of killing almost 18,000 young Chinook salmon by pouring bleach into a rearing pond at a fish hatchery in Reedsport, Ore., according to The Washington Times. The fish raised in the Salmon Trout Enhancement Program would have been released into the…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The Biden administration and the media have been repeating the claim that net-worth for Americans have been rising. At the same time, they also talk about how publci polls show that average Americans are not favoring current economic conditions. This has led some to speculate that the publci is…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, hoping for a Major League Baseball stadium inside the city, encouraged backers of the Portland Diamond Project to consider the 144-acre Rose City Golf Course. But Craig Cheek of the Portland Diamond Project said backers of the MLB team still prefer the 164-acre RedTail Golf…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation A federal judge ruled that the southern Oregon city of Brookings has no legal right to limit the number of meals offered by a local church, according to ABC News. An ordinance approved by the City Council in 2021 in response to citizen complaints limited the meal services to…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, NIKE is cutting 2% of its worldwide workforce. At home, 740 employees at their headquarters are being laid off. As for Intel, they laid off 7,000 employees nationwide last year, and just announced a new round of layoffs this April. Intel is one of Oregon’s largest private employers. This…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The ever-popular and ever-growing In-and-Out Burger still wants to build a restaurant in the Portland area, even after an independent hearings officer denied its application in 2022 to erect a drive-through at 10565 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway in unincorporated Washington County. The denial stemmed from the restaurant’s proposed location between…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Drug users gathering at the Multnomah County Central Library to use fentanyl face a crackdown by the Portland Police Bureau, which arrested 17 people and issued 36 drug citations. Those 17 were addition to 9 arrested a few days earlier. Police officers arrested 11 people on outstanding warrants and…
Chart: Oregon Office Economic Analysis By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Chart shows where Oregonians are moving from and where they are moving into by various regions. Oregonians are leaving the high taxed areas of Portland and residing in Central/Eastern Oregon and even Washington State.
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, As KPTV reports, the downtown Portland Buffalo Wild Wings locations is closing after 17 years due to crime, vandalism and loss of traffic due to the multi-year riots in Portland. The owner begged the landlord, City of Portland, for more security but declined. Interesting, since the City of…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A few weeks ago the 2024 Legislature passed a budget bill that dedicates $2 million of tax dollars to “newcomer” services. In the past, this has meant spending $29 million for a welcome hotel near the Portland airport for illegal, unvetted migrants. Because this budget bill is now law,…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation We are not far away from having liberal groups issue at least one official lawsuit against every single favorite Oregon brand in our State. Oregon’s highest court will hear arguments in March on the appeal of a five-year-old lawsuit against the Tillamook County Creamery Association, which contends the large…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, If you’re wondering how Oregon’s drug users get the money to buy all that fentanyl, Willamette Week has an answer: the Bottle Bill. According to the article, it takes only 50 cans to get enough bottle deposit money to buy a daily dose of fentanyl. “Canners” root through garbage…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Again the Hillsboro Hops baseball team is asking the State Legislature, this February for an immediate $20 million (on top of $18 million already from lodging taxes) or it will be forced to leave Oregon. National league baseball standards demand the Hillsboro team update their ballpark which will cost…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, An audit indicates the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department erred nearly 30 percent of the time while distributing $426 million in emergency rental assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office audit of 61 payments indicates the agency’s staff, in 17 of those cases, failed…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Wow! Oregon home-grown and much praised coffee company, Dutch Bros., is moving 40% of its support staff to Arizona. They say it because that is where the growth is. True. Oregon is shrinking in population. Arizona is in the top 5 population growth states. Oregon is in the top…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A prominent researcher at Oregon Health & Science University accused by several women of secretly photographing them in a required class received a $46,000 President’s Recognition Award bonus as he left his job. Dr. Daniel Marks, a pediatric endocrinologist who worked 26 years at OHSU as senior associate dean…
By Bob Clark, Economist Guest submission for Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The above chart is of per person real after-tax income by selected state (after-tax income adjusted by the state’s relative cost of living). It is compiled from U.S Bureau of Economics, a department of the Federal government, data (released on December 14,…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation There are three basic sources of demands for downtowns: downtown residents, commuters, and visitors from the suburbs or out-of-town. Commuter demand declined significantly in Portland (see Oregonians Working from Home). Many downtown Portland businesses relied on the lunch or after work crowds for a significant portion of their business.…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation According to a National Association of Realtors study using USPS change-of-address data, Oregon was one of the top states people moved out of. Oregon’s net migration loss for 2022 was 17,331 people, or .4% of its population.
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Oregon population growth will rebound, then stabilize over the next few years, according to the Oregon Office of Economic analysis. The prediction is based on typical business cycle patterns, and the number of out of state licenses surrendered to the Oregon DMV. Surrendered licenses are the best leading indicator…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation According to the U.S. Census’ 2021 American Community Survey, between 2019 and 2021 work from home workers increased from 6% of the labor force to 18%. In Oregon, it went from 7% in 2019 to 23% in 2021. Oregon ranks as the fifth highest work from home state. 2022…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation December spending on services was the worst in nearly a year, retail spending fell 3 of the last 4 months, rising mortgage interest rates drove existing home sales to their lowest level since 2014, and car sales were the worst in more than a decade. Government stimulus funds and…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation According to the Oregon Office of Econoimic Analysis, 21 percent of Oregon renter households in the state were living in poverty, and 44 percent of rental households spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Fifty-four percent of renters do not have enough income left over after…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation HB 3010 limits Oregonian’s mortgage interest deduction from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2028. Under the bill, fifty percent of the estimated revenue increase due to lowering the mortgage interest deduction will be dedicated to the Oregon First-Time Home Buyer Account. The First-Time Home Buyer Account will fund…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans. ERISA covers $7.6 Trillion in assets managed on behalf of 140 million American…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In May, voters in Multnomah County will vote on implementing an adjustable 0.75% capital gains tax to provide free lawyers to tenants being evicted. Portland and Multnomah County already subsidize legal defense for low-income renters facing eviction. Backers needed 22,686 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the May…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation. Some things on the internet are not what they seem to be at first glance. The chart below, purporting Lucky Charms to be healthier than steak, and Frosted Mini Wheats healthier than almost evertyhthing except Kale, is a perfect example. The chart was created not to support those ridiculous…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Doxo reports that Portland makes the top 12 utility cost cities. This now puts utility costs among the nation’s highest along with taxes, fees, gas prices, cost of living and housing costs. The U.S. average bill is $351. Oregon utility bills exceeded the U.S. national average at $363 per…
By Jason Williams Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Veronica Guerin is a superb 2003 true-life story featuring Kate Blanchett as she plays the Irish journalist who took on the drug lords and was murdered for it. In the 1990’s, drugs and crime were experiencing a surge in Ireland. Newspapers were reluctant to report on it.…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Oregon voters who approved Measure 10 decriminalizing drugs thought addicts who received a $100 ticket would call a hotline to have the fee waived—and receive treatment needed to beat their addiction. But that didn’t happen. Between implementation of the law in February 2021 and September 2023, law enforcement officers…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The real estate potential of the Portland metro area continues to linger in the bottom half of a list of 80 American cities surveyed and reviewed in the Urban Land Institute’s 2024 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, according to the Portland Business Journal. The report ranks Portland at…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, People think that all the homeless need is a little helping hand. When drugs are involved it can make doing charity work outright dangerous. An elderly Seaside man who tried to help a homeless teenager wound up beaten with a chain and padlock, stabbed in the lung, and…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Here are some signs that the 2023 Christmas economic season may be more tenuous than predicted. #1. Retail sales slows: Retail sales have dipped in the past month as noted by Advisor Perspectives. #2. Retail spending: Spending by the retail industry is down from the last year as noted by the Wall…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Since Russia invaded their homeland in February 2022, nearly 6 million Ukrainians have fled the carnage, seeking asylum in other European nations and throughout the world. About 4,550 have settled in Oregon, struggling to survive with little money and few possessions. More assistance may be coming their way, though,…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Amazon CEO and the world’s 3rd richest person, has announced he is leaving the State of Washington and moving to Florida. The NY Post notes, “If Bezos were to keep Seattle as his primary residence and maintain his current net worth of roughly $162 billion, it would mean he’d have to…
Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Finding a place to pump gas in Eugene may be harder in the future if the Eugene City Council sides with activists and bans construction of new stations as a means to curb the use of fossil fuels, according to OPB. The city has 42 gas stations today, with two more…
(photo KGW) By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Police have arrested a 48-year-old suspect in the early morning arson fire that damaged St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in downtown Salem in late August. Billy James Sweeten remains in Marion County Jail on charges of first-degree arson in the blaze that began in a nearby dumpster shortly…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation In an effort to boost Oregonians’ switch to electric vehicles the Oregon Department of Transportation is granting $1.75 million in rebates to priority businesses, nonprofits, and governments to install EV charging stations. This is just part of $100 million dedicated to building Electric Vehicle stations using tax dollars. The…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The annual average wage in Oregon was $64,835, or $31.17 per hour as measured by their 2023 August report. The report states that the lowest average wage occupation was taxi drivers at $14.72 per hour. The occupations of obstetricians and gynecologists had the highest average wage at $159.43 per…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, (photo: Maui Humane Society) When wildfires swept across Maui, officials at the Hawaiian island’s only local Humane Shelter officials sought help from Greater Good Charities and the Oregon Humane Society to relocate more than a hundred pets to Portland, according to KPTV.com. Greater Good Charities worked with Southwest Airlines…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Here is a list of states that cut taxes since 2021 according to the national Tax Foundation. Many of these states are so-called Blue-liberal states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, New York and Pennsylvania. Since Oregon is in the top 10 for income taxes (Middle Class effective rate) and business…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Last October Kroger announced its plans to acquire Albertsons for $24.6 billion and now officials in seven states have objected to the deal. A Kroger spokesperson defended the merger saying it would be good for consumers and store workers and only large, non-unionized competitors such as Walmart and Amazon…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The trade association representing cannabis retailers wants to find legislative options to increase tax collection among its members without tying renewal of licenses to whether a company or its owners have filed taxes. Their efforts come in the wake of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission’s temporary rules that…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, In 2017, the Oregon legislature set up a government-run retirement system called OregonSaves. After years of delays, one of the program’s major deadlines came and went last month. Businesses had until July 31, to either enroll in OregonSaves or certify that they already offer another retirement program. Employers who…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, In rural Southern Oregon, Josephine County commissioners voted 2-1 to cut funding to Oregon State University’s Extension Program after more than a century of providing financial support, threatening the future of 4-H, gardening, and other programs. Commissioners pulled the funding because of what they see as a “woke” agenda…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Despite slight improvements, Oregon’s 62 community hospitals continue to lose money, as shown by statistics from Apprise Health Insights, which is part of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. Numbers show the state’s hospitals lost $414 million between the first quarter of 2022 and the first quarter…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The first of a proposed six city-sanctioned homeless camp is expected to open at Southeast Gideon Street and 13th Place in Southeast Portland by August, providing large-scale temporary camping sites. The encampment is expected to provide safe sleeping shelter for about 200 people in 70 shelter pods—or tiny homes—and…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The first of a proposed six city-sanctioned homeless camp is expected to open at Southeast Gideon Street and 13th Place in Southeast Portland by August, providing large-scale temporary camping sites. The encampment is expected to provide safe sleeping shelter for about 200 people in 70 shelter pods—or tiny homes—and tent-camping…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Under President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, Oregon received more than $688 million to expand broadband into rural communities lacking affordable, high-speed internet. Business Oregon’s Broadband Office wants residents to share suggestions for expanding high-speed internet over the next five years under the federal Internet for All program. The aim…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center may soon follow the lead of their counterparts in Medford by voting to join a union. Providence Medford doctors voted in April to join the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association, and a majority of Portland hospital physicians…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, In rural Southern Oregon, Josephine County commissioners voted 2-1 to cut funding to Oregon State University’s Extension Program after more than a century of providing financial support, threatening the future of 4-H, gardening, and other programs. Commissioners pulled the funding because of what they see as a “woke” agenda…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center may soon follow the lead of their counterparts in Medford by voting to join a union. Providence Medford doctors voted in April to join the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association, and a majority of Portland hospital physicians…
By Jason Williams Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Ukraine Series Background: Jason Williams first went to Ukraine in 2017 to do humanitarian work. He returned again in May 2023 to provide food, clothing, and medicine to war victims. This trip was not related to politics or foreign policy but a private charity trip. His observations…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Baseball fans could flock to a re-envisioned Lloyd Center under a proposal to put a Major League Baseball stadium in the mall that opened in 1960, but owners of the landmark shopping center haven’t decided yet what its future holds. The fledgling mall in Portland’s Lloyd District, home to…
By Jason Williams Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Ukraine Series Background: Jason Williams first went to Ukraine in 2017 to do humanitarian work. He returned again in May 2023 to provide food, clothing, and medicine to war victims. This trip was not related to politics or foreign policy but a private charity trip. His observations…
By Jason Williams Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Ukraine Series Background: Jason Williams first went to Ukraine in 2017 to do humanitarian work. He returned again in May 2023 to provide food, clothing, and medicine to war victims. This trip was not related to politics or foreign policy but a private charity trip. His observations…
By Jason Williams Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, Ukraine Series Background: Jason Williams first went to Ukraine in 2017 to do humanitarian work. He returned again in May 2023 to provide food, clothing, and medicine to war victims. This trip was not related to politics or foreign policy but a private charity trip. His observations…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Wall Street Journal blames a “tech downtown” for falling wages on the West Coast. The paper notes that average weekly wages have sunk the most in areas where high-paying tech jobs are concentrated, like Washington County, Ore., with a drop of 4.3%. But, even less tech-heavy Clackamas County saw wages decline…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Portland Bureau of Transportation received a $2 million grant to establish the nation’s first zero-emissions delivery zone downtown where no gas- or diesel-powered delivery trucks or vans can travel in a 16-block area, according to the Portland Business Journal. The bureau hasn’t yet determined the boundaries for the pilot…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A Portland Democrat in Congress wants the federal government to reform laws so legal cannabis businesses such as those in Oregon can tap into tax deductions as well as banking and financial services offered to other businesses, according to the Portland Business Journal. To that end, Rep. Earl Blumenauer introduced…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation According to a National Association of Realtors study using USPS change-of-address data, Oregon was one of the top states people moved out of. Oregon’s net migration loss for 2022 was 17,331 people, or .4% of its population.
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A Brookings Episcopal Church faces fines of up to $720 a day for feeding homeless people at its church in a residential area at the same time Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has promised to look into providing more shelters in rural areas for people without roofs over their heads,…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The double-digit percentage growth in cannabis harvested in Oregon for recreational marijuana since legalization in 2015 has slowed to a trickle as the state saw its first-ever decline in sales in 2022, according to the latest Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission report. A huge cannabis harvest in 2021 created…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Anyone pumping a vehicle with gas knows the prices have soared—hitting a 10-year record—and they’re much higher on the West Coast than anywhere else in the nation. In Portland, where the price of a gallon of gas hit $3.98, motorists soon may see the city’s second-highest price for fuel…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In May, voters in Multnomah County will vote on implementing an adjustable 0.75% capital gains tax to provide free lawyers to tenants being evicted. Portland and Multnomah County already subsidize legal defense for low-income renters facing eviction. Backers needed 22,686 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the May…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation In May, voters in Multnomah County will vote on implementing an adjustable 0.75% capital gains tax to provide free lawyers to tenants being evicted. Portland and Multnomah County already subsidize legal defense for low-income renters facing eviction. Backers needed 22,686 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the May…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Oregon farmers and foresters are outraged by a proposed 1.5% tax on retail off-road equipment sales and rentals to raise money to curb diesel emissions in the Portland metro area. House Bill 3158 would add taxes on wheat combines, road-grading equipment, and other machinery used by the state’s farmers…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation According to the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, 21 percent of Oregon renter households in the state were living in poverty, and 44 percent of rental households spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Fifty-four percent of renters do not have enough income left over after…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation There is a new telephone scam that authorities are warning Oregonians about. It is about scammers posing as the Department of Justice and asking people about jury duty. The Justice Department reports, “The Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) is reporting that Oregonians are once again being targeted by fraudulent phone…
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…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation did a tour of the Arizona-Mexico border with a retired U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a journalist. Here’s what we found: After the Obama administration made it easier for children to cross the southwest border and stay in the United States, skirting immigration laws, children…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation did a tour of the Arizona-Mexico border with a retired U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a journalist. Here’s what we found: Before our Southern Border tour we had no idea that there were security checkpoints located many miles in-land in the United States in addition…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation did a tour of the Arizona-Mexico border with a retired U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a journalist. Here’s what we found: In 2021, twenty-one illegal aliens were identified as having a criminal record of terrorism or matching a terrorist suspect profile. Here is one example…
BORDER REPORT Part 3 By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation did a tour of the Arizona-Mexico border with a retired U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a journalist. Here’s what we found and learned: According to a retired U.S. Border Patrol agent, Mexican border guards are angry at the massive amount of…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation did a tour of the Arizona-Mexico border with a retired U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a journalist. Here’s what we found: We came across this wrecked car (above) a mile from the border wall. A getaway car left out too long is often quickly destroyed…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation The Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation did a tour of the Arizona-Mexico border with a retired U.S. Border Patrol Agent and a journalist. Here’s what we found: Along the Arizona border with Mexico, we found a huge hole in the wall—a gigantic gap. As our team came upon…
By Oregon Taxpayers Association Foundation Anyone pumping a vehicle with gas knows the prices have soared—hitting a 10-year record—and they’re much higher on the West Coast than anywhere else in the nation. In Portland, where the price of a gallon of gas hit $3.98, motorists soon may see the city’s second-highest price for fuel ever. In…
By Richard Leonetti Taxpayers Foundation of Oregon The large drop in auto production holds a lesson for the housing crisis. In 2021 North American auto production was down as much as 9% from 2019 due to supply chain problems and some temporary shutdowns of facilities, including GM and Ford. (Auto Production Idles, 1/21/22) The result…
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Oregonians who use natural gas could see their rates increase by nearly 10 percent if regulators grant a request from NW Natural—its second rate hike in three years. The average residential rates would increase from $63 to $70 a month, according to the Portland Business Journal. If approved, commercial…
The State of Utah was tired of people drawing endless unemployment benefits at a time when 10 million vacant jobs went ignored. They required all long-term people receiving unemployment benefits to attend a class on how to look for a job or a class on job training. The simple requirement of asking people to attend…
The homeless may go hungry in the Oregon Coast town of Brookings after the City Council prohibited churches from providing them with meals more than twice a week. This is similar to when a Gresham church ran into opposition in 2016. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church began serving four meals a…
In the six previous years that Oregon measured how many of its students entered 10th grade on track, it was never lower than 78.5% — and that group of students went on to post a graduation rate of just 77%, second worst in the country in 2017. In 2020, the share of Oregon high school…
Oregon state government accidentally sent 40,000 vaccine records to the state’s two largest newspapers — The Oregonian and the Salem Statesman Journal. It meant to send just data totals but ended up sending the entire files. Oregon Department of Administrative Services said it was a “mistake”. This follows a pattern of mistakes by Oreon State…
Oregon has been rated as the nation’s worst hospital capacity per capita with its staffing shortage crisis as a leading culprit. While patients are dying waiting in line, Oregon governor Brown has approved nearly $200 million bonus for government staff. This does not include the up to $1,500 bonus for those government employees who worked…
Private universities in Portland are seeing an increase in enrollment this year, possibly because people are tired of sitting at home and yearning to learn in classrooms on campuses. Some of those registering this year deferred enrollment in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. According to NPR, private colleges saw a dip in enrollment last…
Fraudsters, scammers, business owners and sex offenders have used fake court orders to force social media and search engines like Google to remove information they find offensive—a practice that federal lawmakers intend to stop. Whey they want to authorize illegal wire taps or surveillance or force removal of online content, they’ve simply copied and pasted…
Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians were left unemployed due to the government-mandated shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oregon Employment Department had a (fully predictable, preventable) system crash during the pandemic. The Department was faulted by media for letting employee sit idle all day long, sometimes playing video games, due to mismanagement. Then It’s phone…
As new opportunities emerge for private space travel, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) eyes the opportunity for a new tax. The Securing Protections Against Carbon Emissions (SPACE) Tax proposes a new excise tax on flights into space for purposes other than scientific research. NASA would qualify for exemptions. According to Blumenauer, the tax includes a tier…
Oregon lawmakers approved a record breaking $29.4 two-year budget budget. The years started off with Governor Brown’s $25.6 billion blueprint budget and ended with a $3.5 billion surplus — infused with billions from Congress. Never in modern history has so much tax money come into Oregon State collections. Special last minute projects:* – $300 million…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon Oregon businesses growing and selling cannabis want the ability to sell their product to people in other states, but until the federal law changes making marijuana legal, Gov. Kate Brown says her hands are tied, according to the Portland Business Journal. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the…
By Taxpayers Foundation of Oregon Oregon’s state senators in a 19-8 vote approved a bill to make it easier to convert hotels and motels into temporary shelters and affordable long-term housing for people who lost their homes in wildfires or other emergencies. The measure, already approved by the House, will go Gov. Kate Brown for…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon, When the pandemic began, cannabis sales soared, but sales drops in the second half of 2020 prompted Oregon state economists for the first time in three years to reduce how much they think cannabis sales taxes will generate. The economic forecast predicts the 17 percent cannabis tax will add $301.6…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, It’s likely to take weeks—or more likely months—for Oregonians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine to actually receive a shot in the arm. That’s because the demand for the vaccine far exceeds the limited supplies, according to the association representing Oregon hospitals. Gov. Kate Brown outlined an ambitious timeline for…
OREGONIANS APPROVED OVER 70 TAXES IN 2020 — Voters approved 29 local taxes (property, hotel, bonds, renewals, etc.) during the May Election, and 50 more during the November Election. The most common type of tax increase was taxes related to property. Some of the largest tax increases were the $1.2 billion Portland School Bond…
Best of our Portland Protest riots original reporting: ‘END AMERICA’ AND OTHER OBSCENITIES FROM THE PORTLAND RIOT PORTLAND PROTEST: U.S. CONSTITUTION IS A FASCIST DOCUMENT? PORTLAND PROTEST: PEACEFUL…WITH A DASH OF DEATH THREATS TOP 10 WORST PORTLAND PROTEST CHANTS MAP: HOW POLICE WON THE 100TH…
According to the NY Times (11/18/2020), Oregon has the 5th lowest COVID-19 cases per capita of any U.S. State.
The Wall Street Journal featured data from the COVID Tracking Report. In this report Oregon is in the best 10 hospitalization states as measured by hospitalizations per one million residents. At the same The Oregonian reports that new hospitalizations are rising to a new high which have created the calls for a strict…
Tax revenue from sales of cannabis in Oregon is forecast at $300 million or more for the 2019-2021 biennium, according to the Portland Business Journal, and now the Legislature will be grappling with how to divvy up the bounty. The state brought in $46.9 million in cannabis taxes during the first quarter of the 2021…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, The state of Oregon has paid $4.1 billion in unemployment claims since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but the acting director of the Oregon Employment Department faced criticism for delays in issuing payments to claimants, according to a KPTV report. Since the novel coronavirus shut down businesses, government agencies and nonprofits…
Here is the list Measure 108 – Tobacco, cigar, vaping tax Metro #26-218 business tax traffic, safety, transportation programs Multnomah #26-211 bonds, libraries Multnomah #26-213 five-year levy, restore recreation programs, parks, nature, water Multnomah #26-214 income tax, tuition-free preschool program Multnomah #26-215 bonds modernize & repair schools Multnomah #26-216 five-year local option tax, district operations…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Fact: Virus cases could’ve been reduced by 95% if China had acted three weeks sooner according to Southhampton University. Timeline of China’s cover-up November 17, 2019. The first case of Coronavirus is discovered in China. A few weeks later (Dec. 6) the first case of human-to-human transmission…
Tax Alert Notice: These six tax increase bills are being considered by the short 35-day February Legislative Session. Carbon Tax (72-cent gas tax): SB 1530 Aims to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050 by taxing Oregon emission companies. It is expected to raise the cost of gasoline from 22 to…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, Like David and Goliath, residents of a tiny town on the Oregon Coast are battling Facebook, one of the world’s largest tech companies, over the social media company’s plans to build a landing spot for undersea cables. Residents in quiet Tierra Del Mar, about 65 miles southwest of Portland, worry…
Oregon taxpayers may see an even larger “kicker,” a credit on their 2019 personal state income tax returns, than previously anticipated. Previously, taxpayers were expected to receive an average $370 million refund in 2020 — now that kicker tax refund may grow much larger. The Oregon Department of Revenue noted that the kicker for 2018…
By Bob Clark, Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Back in the year 2012, world oil prices are still at a peak and California is preparing to launch in 2013 its Cap and Trade Program to reduce CO2 emissions. Not to fall behind California, Oregon state politicians earlier this year (2019) attempt to enact approximately the…
$1.3 billion Business Sales tax (HB3427) : House Bill 3427 (also called “Student Success Act”) imposes a 0.57% Commercial Activities (gross receipts) Tax on “business activity” (sales) exceeding $1 million per year, minus 35% of the “cost of inputs” (e.g. materials) or labor costs, plus a flat fee of $250. It taxes business sales revenue…
The majority of American workers travel to their workplaces, and they spend more time doing so, according to a traffic study that compared commuter times in 2008 with those of 2017. Commuters in Portland spend an average of 54 minutes going back and forth to work each day, and it’s grown longer in the…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Oregonians do live in tax hell. This tax season, Oregon taxpayers are sacrificing more of their tax money than most Americans. Oregon ranks as the nation’s fourth-biggest for state government spending, per capita, according to the latest data from the National Association of Budget Offices. That means 46 other…
Capitol Update Series: Developing high-speed internet connections in rural communities can expand business and economic opportunities, which is one reason Oregon Representative Lynn Findley authored House Bill 2455. The measure would define development and expansion of broadband Internet as economic development for purposes of the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board. In 2017, the Legislature…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Capitol Update series: State Representative Christine Drazan made it a priority this year to find solutions to protect seniors form Oregon’s increasing tax rate which is driving some Oregon senior citizens from their home. The state and local taxes Oregon residents pay on real and personal property, net worth,…
Capitol Update Series: One of the priorities of Oregon State Senator Denyc Boles during the 2019 Session was to come up with legislation to address the rampant and persistent problem of school bullying and student harassment. In 2018, nearly 8.8 percent of students in Oregon reported they were bullied or harassed once a week…
It is official that the highly provocative and costly Carbon tax climate bill HB 2020 died as the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session drew to a close — mere hours before their June 30th midnight deadline. The carbon tax climate bill, HB 2020, passed the Oregon House but failed in the Senate after the entire Oregon…
The protest against Oregon’s Carbon Tax bill HB 2020 (also called climate bill, carbon cap and trade) went national this month and has led to its own collapsing. One of the loudest voices in the debate has been the community most endangered by the carbon tax — which is timber industry and the small…
Oregon Capitol Update Series: Patients under the Oregon Health Plan will now receive two hearing aids instead of one, thanks to Rep. Rick Lewis, R, Silverton, a former police chief. He asked the state to change the rules because people with one hearing aid can feel like sound is only coming from one direction. “When…
Capitol Update Series In August 2017, hordes of stargazers inundated Central Oregon to watch the total eclipse, but the experience left those living in the region less than happy. To better control such an event, the Oregon Legislature is considering House Bill 2790, which would let counties require permits for outdoor mass gatherings. Senator Cliff…
Capitol Update Series: State Senator Chuck Thomsen, Chuck Thomsen, a State Senator from Hood River, has been one of the Legislature’s best advocate for the needs of Oregon’s veterans. Recently, State Senator Chuck Thomsen wants to make sure that military veterans in Oregon are receiving the help they need, and to that end he has…
Capitol Update Series Featuring State Representative Mike Nearman. Information Tech watchdog is a title that Rep Mike Nearman wears proudly as he sits on the House Information Management and Technology Committee. Representative Mike Nearman wants to see the $39 million allocated from SB 1049 for software upgrades for PERS used wisely. A software boondoggle…
Capitol Update Series: Rep. Greg Barreto, R, Cove, authored and pass the only bill so far to receive a unanimous vote in the 80th Oregon legislature. HB 2444 will fund Oregon Future Farmers of America with $1.43 million, passing by a 60-0 vote. Agriculture is a top priority for Barreto as he wants to see…
Capitol Update Series: People are selling T-shirts, key chains, mugs, and other items bearing the state seal of Oregon, but the state isn’t making any money from those sales. However, that could change under a bill cosponsored by Sen. Bill Hansell, an Athena Republican, according to The Oregonian/Oregon Live. If approved, the state would license…
Capitol Update Series: Rep. Cedric Hayden, Roseburg Republican followed in his father’s footsteps both as dentist and legislator. Hayden is also a co-founder of Caring Hands Worldwide, a nonprofit organization that provides free dental care for people in need. In the street clinics Hayden runs in Eugene, he performs dental work for mainly veterans. Many…
Zero based budgeting concept has been hailed by many as a way to control government spending. Sen. Fred Girod of Scio representing Senate District 9 has a bill that will do just that. He along with Sen. Linthicum are spearheading the idea and have support from the democrats. The bill is still being written by…
Oregon Capitol Update Series: Sen. Kim Thatcher is optimistic that her bill on eliminating time changes twice a year will pass the Oregon Legislature during this 2019 session. SB 320 A, abolishes annual one-hour change in time from standard time to daylight saving time and places Oregon on a permanent daylight saving time. It has…
Most of the proposed paid family leave bills died midway through the Oregon Legislature, but one remains—and it’s likely to hurt small businesses. Many lawmakers have been making a promise to provide workers with paid family leave for births, adoptions, and other medically necessary time off, and introduced legislation to do so. Under current law,…
Capitol update series, In 2005, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill that made pseudoephedrine products like Sudafed available by prescription only. There was a good reason for it back then, as pseudoephedrine was a key ingredient in the methamphetamine that was being produced in home labs and frequently resulted in explosions. This new prescription law…
A 2018 Oregon Report on school safety by the University of Oregon shows that students are feeling less safe in our schools. Rep. Duane Stark (R-Grants Pass) has been trying to work on solutions in our education system. One simple idea that would help has been brought to his attention by the City of Grants…
Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, R. HD 17, currently serves on eight, count them, eight committees this during the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session – almost as many committees as years she’s been an elected legislator. Her strong work ethic serves her well as she is a chief sponsor of HB 3016 that will appropriate dollars to Department…
The Oregon Legislature looks poised to approve a bill co-sponsored by Rep. Jack Zika enabling construction of 485 new housing units—half of those for people with below-average incomes—on land outside of Redmond. Zika, R-Redmond, is optimistic for passage of House Bill 2336, which sailed through the House unanimously.
A bill in the Oregon House of Representatives (HB 3268) would essentially abolish the death penalty in the state with only one exception—for terrorists who kill two or more people. At the same time, a major Oregon newspaper is asking lawmakers to send the issue to voters who twice reaffirmed the state’s death penalty laws.
An escalating trade war between the United States and China, along with tit-for-tat tariffs on imported goods, may curtail business in West Coast ports, reducing labor hours and creating a ripple effect throughout the Pacific Northwest economy. The latest volley in the trade war brings the battle to the Pacific Northwest home front, especially its…
Motorists traveling on I-5 and I-205 through Portland during peak travel times are likely to pay a freeway toll in the not-too-distant future. The Federal Highway Administration requested more information but, in a letter January 8, indicated the Oregon Transportation Commission’s request to impose tolls is “likely eligible” to be approved.
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Last year, union membership in Oregon dropped by 7.6 percent, registering the sixth largest drop in the country. According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2017 to 2018, Oregon unions lost 20,000 members. This is the eighth largest drop in the country and is…
In a sign of the times, on Thursday the Portland airport had a box accepting food donations for federal airport workers and by Saturday it was taken down as the shutdown ended. The Willamette Week reported that almost 2,000 federal workers in Oregon have applied for unemployment benefits because of the partial government shutdown.
Oregon hospitals just got hit with a $320 million revenue tax last year with House Bill 2161 (also known as Measure 101). Now Oregon lawmakers are coming back to tax them again by stripping away their charitable property tax benefits. It’s been a long-standing policy that hospital and healthcare clinics that provide charity care can…
America’s uninsured rate held essentially steady from 2016 to 2017, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau figures. Oregon, however, one of the few states to see a significant uptick in the uninsured rate.
Comparing Oregon to other states helps us understand and communicate how prosperous the State of Oregon government actually is. We also included regulations as they are a different form of taxation because government gets to achieve a goal for free but at a significant expense to a small business or a taxpayer family budget.
The Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed connecting state’s pension problems with home values. While the article doesn’t mention Oregon, our PERS crisis and housing affordability problems make the article especially relevant.
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Many Oregon businesses and residents feel like state government meddles too much in their everyday lives. They also feel like all this meddling does not do much to make their day-to-day lives much better. New research shows they may be correct. Oregon has the sixth highest number of regulatory…
Oregon politicians broke the law in setting convicted criminals free In 2017, the Governor and the Legislature approved House Bill 3078 which reduced prison time 20% to 30% for Identity Thieves, Auto theft and Property crimes. Politicians blatantly broke the law by releasing criminals early in violation of the Oregon Constitution. Voters put minimum sentencing…
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The Oregon Transportation Commission discussed (see Oregonian article, Portland Tribune article) the feasibility of tolling the highways of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 with the projections of raising $300 million in additional tax revenue. The Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation predicting this debate conducted an extensive mail survey of its supporters last month. Over 400…
In a large statewide straw poll of 400 Oregon taxpayers, Oregonians were asked to identify the issues they were most concerned about going in to the 2018 elections. With a potentially competitive Governor’s race and control of the Legislature at stake, voters expressed deep concern about the fiscal management of the State.
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Oregon’s income growth is lagging the nation and cannot keep pace with inflation. According to data released by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis last month, U.S. income growth per person grew by 2.4 percent. In contrast, personal income per person in Oregon increased by only 1.9 percent. To…
IRS audits at 15 year low. By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, For the sixth straight year IRS tax audits have been declining and have set a new 15 low in 2017 according to the Wall Street Journal. The year, 2010 was their peak, and since then they have lost a third of their enforcement staff.…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, The most recent population estimates from the Census Bureau show that Portland’s population growth has slowed to the lowest level in years.
Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation The State recently gained an ally in President Trump, who cited Oregon’s per mile charge as an innovative way to achieve revenues needed to realize his plans for updating and improving the country’s infrastructure. Trump’s plan seeks to mix federal funding with State and local contributions as well as investments…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Housing is the single biggest factor driving the cost-of-living. Recent research finds Portland, Oregon is one of the most “severely unaffordable” major housing markets in the world — ranking 67th. Because of the high cost of housing, Oregon has the fifth highest cost-of-living in the U.S. The reason for…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, The landmark tax reform bill passed by Congress has already started reaping benefits even before it’s provisions take effect. The bill, which will reduce taxes for 80 percent of Americans and dramatically lowered tax rates for Corporations and other businesses, became effective January 1, 2018. Here are some of…
Oregonians could soon be paying $4 or more for a gallon of gas if lawmakers pass cap-and-trade in the next year, according to the Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation. Recent surveys from the AAA of Oregon and Washington indicates this would amount to a 40 percent increase in the price consumers are currently paying at…
The latest numbers show that Oregon jumped from 10th to 6th biggest state and local government spending state in the nation per capita according to the National Association of State Budget Officers, latest State Expenditure Report and estimates for 2016. This means Oregon out spends, per person, 44 others US states in terms of total…
How Oregon compares to other states on itemized tax deductions less mortgage interest and charitable gifts. Provided by Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. This will play an important role in the national tax reform debate.
586 Fee Increases Totaling $374 million! Taxpayers feel like their being secretly robbed through hidden fees The Politicians didn’t need to raise taxes to bring in nearly a half billion in new revenue — they just raised fees instead.
Governor Brown is at it again. In the works is another new, monstrous tax. A new $600 million dollar per year tax to grow even larger in subsequent years. (Quick calculation: that is $150 per year for each man woman and child in Oregon) It will be sold as a “Cap and Trade” carbon tax.
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Multnomah County filed a $250 million lawsuit in August against drug companies, distributors, and doctors. The county alleges a conspiracy to hide the danger of prescription pain pills in order to promote the widespread, long-term and lucrative use of their opioid products. Last week, Governor Kate Brown’s task force…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon Oregon lawmakers just passed $530 million in new vehicle and gas taxes. Most Oregonians do not know the coming sticker shock and taxes that are heading their way. Here is what the $530 million in new road taxes includes:
Million of your tax dollars were over-collected by the state of Oregon during the current budget cycle. Oregon voters approved a law that requires lawmakers to return over-collected tax revenue to those who paid it. The average Oregon Tax Refund is $227 and can be claimed when you file your 2017 taxes next year. Use…
This great chart shows which Oregon region are experiencing the job growth compared to their recession lows
Oregon’s 2017 Legislative Session began with laments of a “budget crisis” and “shortfall”. To close the gap between what previous Legislatures had promised to spend and the actual amount of money available, virtually every kind of tax increase imaginable was proposed. At the end of the Session, and with only marginal new or increased taxes…
The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) crisis has hit a $22 billion deficit and the Legislature seems paralyzed to address the crisis. The media is sounding the alarm and experts are hinting that we might have to fall off a cliff before changes will come. A website Oregon Ponzi Scheme helps to compare the Bernie…
Oregon Regional Economic Indicators (click chart for larger view) By UofO Oregon Economic Indicators Regional economies experienced some mixed numbers in February, but underlying trends remain solid. Highlights of this month’s report include: – For all regions, moving average measures (which smooth monthly volatility) remain above zero, indicating above trend activity. Recall that these figures…
Governor Brown’s Office Delays Public Records Request By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, The Bend Bulletin Editorial Board stated last summer on Oregon Governor Kate Brown “The governor’s office is so slow to fill requests for her calendar and documents relating to it as to render the final product useless or nearly so.” A few weeks…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Governor Kate Brown and some lawmakers say the State of Oregon is facing a $1.7 billion budget shortfall in the 2017-19 biennium. Yet, this shortfall is in the face of all-time high tax money coming in to state government.
The Oregon Legislature begins today and taxpayers should pay attention. The Oregon Legislature is looking at over a 100 tax and fee increase proposals. The Oregon Legislature will also look at rule changes which will have the effect of raising taxes and costs on taxpayers and businesses. The Oregon budget will grow by over a…
Oregon Department of Revenue Press Release, As of December 31, 2016, the Department of Revenue has received $60.2 million in marijuana tax payments since the state began taxing recreational marijuana in January 2016. Additional marijuana tax data is available at www.oregon.gov/dor/stats Marijuana tax receipt information will be updated on this page monthly, generally toward the…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon Health insurance prices on the Obamacare exchanges have been published on HealthCare.gov, and it’s not good news. Higher premiums, higher deductibles, and fewer choices. Fewer plans: Last year, residents in Portland, Oregon had a choice of 87 plans. This year, we get only 37 plans from which to choose (1).
Governor Brown introduces Son of 97 Tax By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, – $300 million small business tax – $530 million health care tax – 100% Liquor tax increase – 64% tobacco tax increase Tax burden falls on small business as big business goes untouched: Twenty four days after Oregonians rejected the Measure 97…
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.
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…
Taxpayer Foundation researcher Richard Leonetti was on KATU-TV over Hillsboro paying $100,000 for a jumbo-tron TV. KATU-TV News transcript — Dec. 10 2015: The City of Hillsboro spent more than $110,000 on a large television display used during city council meetings at the Shirley Huffman Auditorium at the Hillsboro Civic Center.”If you ‘re attending the…
An Oregon poll examines at a hot-button issue to gauge where Oregonians stand on privacy & liberty against the needs of security & law enforcement.
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided by Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: October measures of economic activity were generally solid across all regions in Oregon. Highlights of the report include: Moving average measures of activity – which smooth monthly volatility – indicate that the Portland…
Nearly 200 people showed up to the Portland Airport Shilo Inn to celebrate the 25th Birthday of Measure 5 on December 2nd. The cake read “You saved our home” Without Measure 5 your property taxes would be 40% higher!
You can protect the legacy of Measure 5 with a donation to the Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon. Make a donation of cash, stock, vehicles or other items here. It almost didn’t happen…
Last year, Oregon was ranking among the worst states in several important categories. The Taxpayer Foundation helped to raise awareness and solicit ideas from Oregon taxpayers on how we could do better.
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum July was another solid month for regional economies in Oregon. Highlights of the report include:
Common Kicker questions: By Oregon Department of Revenue, Kicker credit: Can I claim the full kicker credit if my spouse recently died and the income was included in our 2014 joint return? Yes, you may claim the entire credit on your 2015 return even though you may be filing using the single status. Kicker credit:…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon A lack of cell phone towers and reliable Internet service is hurting business in rural Oregon. “We use our cell phones on the farm because we need them to communicate with each other,” said a farmer in Vale, Oregon. “Even with a cell phone booster in the house, our service…
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: Measures of activity strengthened in June across almost all of Oregon’s major metro areas. Highlights of the report include: – Most regions in Oregon are growing at or above their average pace of…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation A bill (HB 3139) sponsored by Rep. Cedric Hayden was signed into law on May 21, making it easier for mobile medical clinics to go into communities to provide much needed medical and dental care. The law prohibits local government from preventing mobile clinics from parking on private property…
Justin Brecht of Canby has won the 2015 Next Generation essay contest and a new Apple Watch as top prize! The Taxpayer Association created the contest to give a voice to Oregon’s younger generation. Please read his amazing essay on how serving in Iraq help shape his political worldview. “How my own personal experience shaped…
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: In general measures of activity remained soft in May compared to earlier in the year. Still, all major metropolitan regions in Oregon are growing at or above their average pace of activity. Highlights…
Press Release Provided by Josh Lerner, Office of Economic Analysis, This edition of the Graph of the Week highlights the relationship between home prices and new home construction across the 50 largest metros in the country. (Original graph idea from Jed Kolko, formerly of Trulia.) It comes out of some work Tim Duy and I…
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: University of Oregon Regional Economic Indicators Measures of activity softened during the spring, but still indicate that all areas are growing at or above their average pace of activity. Highlights of the report…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation On June 25, 2015, the house passed a bill by Representative Duane Stark that would give legal protection to sobering centers, places where police can take people who are publicly intoxicated. Under current law, police can take intoxicated people home, to treatment facilities, or if none are available, to…
Rep. Huffman: Honoring Vets with Three Highways By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Three highways in Oregon have become Veterans Memorial Highways. The bill, HB 2036, sponsored by Representative John Huffman (R-District 59) and 18 others, was signed into law on May 21. US Hwy 395 was designated as the World War I Veterans…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, Rep. Jim Weidner is working on a bill to start a pilot program to screen newborns for Krabbe disease. Unless the disease is caught very early, it is fatal. The parents of 5-year-old Marshall Wilson, who is dying of the disease, urged Oregon legislators to include Krabbe testing for all…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation A bill that would allow self-service gas at rural stations between 6 PM and 6 AM when no attendant is present has passed unanimously in the House. The bill (HB 3011), sponsored by State Representative Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario), applies only to counties with fewer than 40,000 people. Bentz said…
Rep. Huffman: Securing Oregon as a Purple Heart state By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation House passes State Representative John Huffman’s resolution designating Oregon a Purple Heart State On June 3 the House unanimously passed a resolution designating Oregon as a Purple Heart State. The resolution, sponsored by Rep. John Huffman (R-District 59) and others,…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Senator Chuck Thomsen is a Hood River pear farmer who is watching the Legislature roll-out Ag destroying bills with no concern for the average family farmer. Thomsen explains that non-farmer lawmakers treat farming as it were a big businesses in a steady stream of annual profits. That is not…
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: Measures of economic activity softened somewhat in March, but still indicate further gains in Oregon’s metro areas. Highlights of the report include: Moving average measures of activity – which smooth monthly volatility –…
Release by Josh Lerner, Office Economic Analsysi As the drought continues to worsen and spread, its impact — both potential and real — on the economy is a risk to the outlook, particularly at the local level. Our office included the following slide in our presentation to the Legislature at the last forecast release.
Bill Limits Religious Lawsuit Damages By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Oregon Senate Resolution 12 would limit awards of non-economic damages against religious organizations to $1 million. The proposed amendment to the Oregon Constitution would be referred to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election.
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation (Photo by Staff, Michelle L.L. Binker) State Representative Carl Wilson has a plan to quickly fix Oregon’s forest crisis before the terrible looming deadline this July 1st for when the timber payments run out and leave counties without the support they were promised when their land was taken away.…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation State Representative Gene Whisnant is working on House Bill 2856 which identifies and stops vacant state positions which could end up costing the state as much as $300 million. This bill targets vacant positions that have been vacant for 6-months of more. Vacant government positions that receive funding are…
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon The economic expansion continued across Oregon in February. Highlights of the report include: Moving average measures of activity – which smooth monthly volatility – indicate that all areas are growing near or above their average pace of…
Release by Josh Lerner, Office of Economic Analysis, Just a quick update on the quality of Oregon’s job growth in recent years. This continues our office’s work on job polarization — the fact that much of the job growth is concentrated in both the high- and low-end of the wage spectrum. As discussed before, the…
Jodi Hack has Tax Credit for Volunteer Firefighters By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation A tax credit for volunteer firefighters is moving forward in the legislative process. Sponsored by Rep. Jodi Hack and ten other representatives, House Bill 3189 would give a $250 credit against income taxes that are due to volunteers who have given…
Capitol Newsletter April 2015 Rep. Bill Kennemer: Is big government exempt from small lawsuits Rep. Bill Post: End Anti-Lunch Law Rep. Gene Whisnant: Un-transparent half-billion fund
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon State Senator Fred Girod has sponsored a spending limit bill (SB 866) that would limit the growth of government. SB 866 would limit appropriations for general governmental purposes to the lesser of the percentage increase in projected (1) personal income, (2) population growth plus inflation, or (3) gross domestic product.
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Rep. Bill Kennemer has introduced a bill, HB 2612, to remove the special treatment mass transit and other governmental bodies has with its exemption from being sued in claims court. The problem arose from his constituent, Bennett Johnson, the owner of the Fearless Brewing Company. One of the company’s…
Special considerations for military personnel filing in Oregon As the personal income tax return filing deadline approaches, there are a few things military personnel stationed in Oregon or those stationed outside of Oregon who claim Oregon as their home of record should keep in mind. “Oregon residents stationed outside the state and nonresidents stationed here…
Read our Capitol News letter here. Representative Julie Parish: Nine ethic reform ideas Representative Barreto: What drives business away Representative Pilusio: Helping women veterans
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: Regional economies rocketed into the New Year with solid growth in January. Highlights of the report include:
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, State Representative Bill Post has sponsored House Bill 3101 that protects accident injury victims from collection agencies while they are awaiting a legal action for the payments of their bills. The bill originated from a constituent horror story involving a family whose daughter was struck by a driver and…
Senator Hass, Representative McLane: Historic Tech Tax Upgrade By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation A rare bipartisan effort for a major tax reform has been advanced with SB 661 which aims to fix Oregon’s 1800’s tax structure that finds itself destroying 21st Century technology. Two lawmakers stand-out on this issue, State Senator Mark Hass who…
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Oregon State Senator Alan Olsen’s SB 435 would eliminate anonymous mystery bill amendments by requiring amendments to identify the state Legislator who proposed it. Anonymous legislation passing through the Legislature only reinforces the back-room deals aura of Salem and has the effect of shutting out the public who wish…
Read Capitol Newsletter here. What’s inside Senator Olsen: No More mystery bills Representative Greg Barreto: Real life business plan trumps paid sick mandate Representative Sherrie Sprenger: Cougar sighting raises alarm
By Oregon Department fo Revenue Newsroom release Starting with the filing of 2014 returns this year, the Oregon Department of Revenue will be assessing penalties for failing to file information returns electronically. Oregon requires businesses filing any number of W2s or more than ten 1099s to file those electronically through iWire by March 31.
Government’s use of technology to keep track of citizens is advancing exponentially, and Oregon Senator Tim Knopp believes we need to take a step back and evaluate what this means. Tim Knopp is sponsoring three bi-partisan bills in the current Legislative Session (SB 639, SB 640, SB 641) that would curtail government’s ability to store…
See our Capitol newsletter update…. Sen. Herman Baertschiger: Solving rural Oregon’s tax death trap Senator Tim Knopp: Privacy concerns over government car tracking Rep. Sal Esquivel: Killing this will boost timber, farming & ranching
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes Press Release provided By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: December was another strong month for most regional economies in Oregon. Highlights of the report include: Moving average measures of activity – which smooth monthly volatility – indicate that all nearly areas are…
Release by Josh Lerner, Office of Economic Analysis, I don’t know if it’s paternal instincts or not, but I’ve been thinking a lot more about generations and demography lately. I just wanted to share some of graphs our office uses and talk briefly about why this is so important from an economic point of view.…
By Oregon Department of Revenue, The Oregon Department of Revenue has identified inconsistencies in recently-filed state tax returns prepared with third-party tax preparation software, indicating potential fraudulent activity. However, this is just one of many scams detected and stopped this filing season by the state’s tax administration agency. “Fraudulent attempts are on the rise and…
University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of Oregon Oregon Regional Economic Indicators: Most regional economies in Oregon experienced above average growth in November. Highlights of the report include: Moving average measures of activity – which smooth monthly volatility – indicate that all nearly areas are growing near or…
The Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation has been protecting your rights as a taxpayer for over 10 years! – We expose government waste, fraud & abuse – We fight in the courtroom to protect the rights and privacy of taxpayers – We educate taxpayers & lawmakers of gross tax mispending (while providing solutions to end…
Double digit spending & 40 tax increases proposed for 2015 Legislative Session By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation Governor’s Budget & Proposals – Nearly 11% State spending increase – Freeze building new prison beds – $800 million in new government programs – Taking the people’s Kicker Income Tax refund – Creating the nation’s first billion…
Despite some people’s beliefs that Oregonians do not pay enough taxes, the opposite is very true by the fact that Oregon has the 16th highest state & local tax burden in the nation. Yet, taxes and fees continue to be raised.
There are over 50 local tax measures, bonds and levies on the Oregon November ballot. Oregon Tax News is providing a large perspective on what is occurring at the local level among voters and tax measures. Clackamas County 3-446 Gladstone Library levy 3-447 Clackamas Comm. College Bonds 3-449 Colton Schools – Bonds 3-450 Vector Control…
By Taxpayer Foundation Of Oregon, Families can’t afford health care because Cover Oregon wasted ¼ billion. Force yourself to read this entire article to fully understand how utterly catastrophic our state leaders have failed us. Top 10 disturbing facts about Cover Oregon Oregon spent a ¼ billion on a health care website that failed to…
Oregon property taxes up Many Washington County property owners will see as much as 13% property tax increase. Some Portland homes will witness an 11% increase in their property taxes. Clackamas property owners will see an average of 3% increase. Multnomah County homeowners will see a substantial increase in property taxes as a result of…
Nearly a month into Oregon’s Health Care Exchange and it is still not working and facing painful delays. The website’s failure is a gross disappointment despite the project’s spending over $82 million in taxpayer dollars. This is made even worse knowing the fact that Oregon was awarded the third largest federal grant to build the…
Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon Three of Oregon’s solar companies are laying of hundreds of employees as 2013 marks a terrible year for the solar industry. The solar industry has been heavily supported by taxpayer funds through tax credits and other financing operations. Salem’s Sanyo Solar announced the layoff of 52 workers, but will continue to…
By Oregon Tax News With 52% of foreclosed homes in the state vacant, Oregon has the fourth highest rate of “zombie foreclosures” in the country. A “zombie foreclosure” is an unoccupied home in foreclosure, but not yet foreclosed. Half of the approximately 2300 Oregon homes in foreclosure, but not yet foreclosed, are vacant, and almost…
By Oregon Tax News, Reaching the lowest point in 17 years, homeownership dropped to a seasonally adjusted 65.2 percent in the first quarter as more people chose to rent instead of purchase a home. The rate of homeownership peaked at 69.4 percent in 2004, and has followed a downward trend since the collapse of the…
By Oregon Tax News, What You Need to Know About the Internet Sales Tax This week the Senate passed the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act by a vote of 69 to 27. Here are some important things to know about the bill. 1. Allows states to capture $11 billion in taxable income. it allows the 45…
By Oregon Tax News, A bill proposed by three prominent U.S. senators would give states broad new taxing power over online retailers located outside their boundaries. The Marketplace Fairness Act was proposed in February by Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and could make shopping online more expensive and complicate…
By Oregon Tax News, Oregon is party to a multistate settlement with Google, Inc. for the unauthorized collection of information from unsecured wireless networks by its Street View vehicles. The agreement, signed by the attorneys general of 38 states and the District of Columbia, requires Google to educate employees on the privacy and confidentiality of…
Oregon Department of Revenue alert to tax filers by Fax The Oregon Department of Revenue is experiencing an interruption in fax service that has affected taxpayer communications to two of the agency’s key return processing units. Since Friday afternoon, Revenue has received 644 fax submissions to its Electronic Funds Transfer Unit (EFT) and Suspense Unit…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, An analysis of U.S. Census Bureau numbers shows Oregon state & local governments ranking higher than national state average when ranked among other 50 states. Below is a chart showing how Oregon ranks among the 50 states and another on how the District of Columbia ranks. The numbers are based…
Important update from the Oreogn Better Business Bureau: Better Business Bureau warns taxpayers that they are not exempt if their tax returns are prepared improperly by third-party professionals. BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington advises consumers to evade unqualified tax preparers: Designations: All tax professionals should be able to provide proof of credentials. Turn…
Dept. of Revenue, Tax season is underway, and the Oregon Department of Revenue would like to remind taxpayers that assistance is available at five district offices throughout the state and the agency’s main office in Salem. Taxpayers can receive help from Revenue employees 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following locations:…
By Oregon Tax News, Walden outlines agenda Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Chairman of the Communications and Technology subcommittee, outlined his agenda for the new year. He plans to work on freeing up more government spectrum for commercial broadband. He will also push for implementation of the FCC Process Reform Act, which would restrict the agency’s…
Notice of tax assisstance Newberg area: George Fox University’s Accounting Club is offering free tax preparation and e-filing assistance to local residents. Dates for help sessions are four Saturdays: March 2 and 9 and April 6 and 13. The Tax-Aide program is designed to help taxpayers prepare their returns. The service is especially geared toward…
By Oregon Tax News The U.S. Commerce Department reported that January retail sales rose at the lowest rate in three months. That number is bolstered by a study from the National Retail Federation (NRF) indicating that 45.7 percent of consumers are cutting back on spending. The effect is directly tied to the restoration of the…
By Oregon Tax News In an attempt to deal with the immigration issue, key senators are considering a bill which would force all workers, citizens and non-citizens alike, to prove their eligibility to work via a national biometric ID card, using fingerprints or other personal markers. Biometric ID vs. E-Verify No firm decisions have been…
By Oregon Tax News The economic impact of high student debt is a growing concern as more young adults are entering the workforce with a staggering debt burden and limited employment options. Some experts say the student loan industry is a bubble similar to the housing bubble that popped five years ago. Though not all…
By Oregon Tax News The watchdog taxpayer group, Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS), has included the Columbia River Crossing Bridge in its list of what it terms “common sense cuts to avoid the fiscal cliff.” The cuts total $2.0 trillion, which is more than enough to avoid sequestration, the across-the-board budget cuts mandated by law…
By Oregon Tax News California, once an epicenter of population growth and economic opportunity, is losing more residents to other states than it is taking in, according to a new study by the Manhattan Institute. Released in September 2012, “The Great California Exodus: A Closer Look” reports that California has lost 3.4 million residents since…
By Oregon Tax News In an effort to generate more money, cash-strapped states are turning to two controversial solutions—an Internet retail sales tax and legalizing online gambling. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that an Internet sales tax, referred to as the Amazon tax, could generate $23 billion for states. Historically, online retailers like Amazon…
The Taxpayer Foundation is recognizing five outstanding students for their essays on their Oregon education experience and opinions. The diversity of opinions range from authors in the 5th grade to recent college graduates covering a wide breadth of topics from the personal to policy suggestions. Oregon is honored to have these young and talented voices in…
By Oregon Tax News, Tim Geithner, U.S. Treasury Secretary, visited Portland in April and held a private meeting with about a dozen CEOs of major corporations. The Portland Business Journal wanted to know what was discussed behind the closed doors. Only one of those CEOs, Benchmade Knife Company’s Les de Asis, spoke to the media…
By Oregon Tax News The Portland City Council approved a new two percent hotel tax intended to help promote Portland tourism. The assessment applies to hotels with more than 50 rooms and takes effect on Oct. 1, 2012. Called the Portland Tourism Improvement District, the program will raise an estimated $6.6 million annually for tourism…
By Oregon Tax News, Identity thieves are using deceased people’s SSN and use it to claim him as a dependent. Then have the IRS send the ridiculously inflated refund to your prepaid debit card. Thieves spend the refund, and pull the same trick next year. The scam works when the victim died fairly recently. If…
A defining year for Clackamas Coutny Transportation By Oregon Tax News, Thsi fall, Clackamas County residents may have the opportunity to vote on a ballot measure that would require voter approval for Clackamas County’s participation in the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail project (PMLR). Specifically, ballot measure 3-401 requires county officials to get voter approval before spending…
Natural Resource Legislative Review 2012 This report aims to look at Legislative impact of the 2012 Session on natural resource issues which is increasingly important as several issues relate to public and livestsock safety from wildlife harm and also the effectiveness of Oregon’s various agencies that currently spends over $800 million to manage its natural…
By Oregon Tax News There are huge trends and shifts in the media and it impacts how people consume their news. 1. Big U.S. media companies bought back record amounts of their own shares in the last year. Cable television networks drew strong viewership and advertising dollars, generating cash despite economic uncertainty. News Corp, Time…
By Oregon Tax News, Record high gas prices are expected to hit new records in the coming months. Below are a few questions and answers to better understand the current impact of high prices and what lies ahead as summer approaches: 1. How High Will Gas Prices Go? Gas prices have recently stalled, plateauing around…
Post office to close offices in Bend, Salem & Eugene. By Oregon Tax News, The U.S. Postal Service is making a few concessions to efficiency and closing four mail sorting centers in Oregon, part of its campaign to slash costs by closing more than 260 mail processing places nationwide. The Oregon facilities—located in Bend, Salem,…
Oregon’s Zoo & Convention Center losing revenue By Oregon Tax News Taxpayer-funded zoos and convention centers across the country are losing money. The Oregon Zoo and Convention Center are no exception. The Portland Business Journal recently cited an independent review conducted by Tampa-based Crossroads Consulting showing the Zoo and Convention Center contributed to a nearly…
Oregon health job loss: OHSU & Legacy By Oregon Tax News Hundreds of health care related jobs in the Portland Metro area are being cut and more losses could be on the way if state reforms fail to produce savings promised by lawmakers. In mid-December, KPTV reported that Legacy Health Systems plans to cut as…
By Oregon Tax News, The Boeing Company has avoided another costly strike after a critical deal was struck between executives and union leaders that both are calling a “win-win.” Under an agreement forged last week and ratified by Machinist union members on Wednesday, Boeing will move ahead with a new, non-union plant in South Carolina…
Foreclosures Still Plague Oregon Housing Market Account for One in Three Home Sales By Oregon Tax News Foreclosures continue to flood Oregon’s housing market and accounted for one-third of all home sales this spring. At 33 percent, Oregon’s housing market is in the top 10 in terms of foreclosed homes as a percentage of all…
Could a Bailout Save the Postal Industry? By Oregon Tax News, A 2010 GAO report detailed that the U.S. Postal Service is on the brink of an economic meltdown. There have been serious calls to save costs by ending Saturday service and to close nearly 2,000 office. Oregon has over 40 post offices on the…
By Oregon Tax News Oregon Tax News recently analyzed the information behind three different worst city ratings which included;”America’s Shrinking Cities List” (by MSNBC), “America’s Most Miserable City List” (Forbes) and “Worst Job Seeker City List” (US & World Report). The four most common factors of being among America’s worst cities were unemployment, high crime,…
By Oregon Tax News, The United States has not seen a balanced budget since 2001, leading to increasing national debt. Although private banks in the U.S. hold the majority of the country’s debt, over 52% according to MSNBC, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Board estimate that foreign governments hold 4.4 trillion of the…
Economy, Aging and Sex Leads to Declining Workforce As the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age, USA TODAY reports that the working population fell to its lowest level last year since women entered the workforce nearly 30 years ago. In 2010, only 45.4% of Americans had jobs. This rate is down from 49.3% in 2000.…
Capital gains tax Oregon has one of the highest capital gains taxes in the nation. There are a few bills in the 2011 Legislature that would reduce these taxes. The issue is cut capital gains taxes is shared by many sides in the State capitol. Governor Kitzhaber has proposed cutting $25 million from capital gains…
100 Ways to Balance the State Budget without new taxes! In light of Oregon facing a budget crisis, the Taxpayer Foundation has issued a master list of budget balancing ideas that do not require raising taxes. These ideas have been collected from Oregon lawmakers, think tank groups, taxpayer organizations, unions, policy analysts, Democrats, Republicans and…
Is tech a new bubble to burst? Should the Fed care? By Oregon Tax News, As technology expands, companies find themselves with increased market values. The emergence of social media (more than 500 million accounts on Facebook alone), combined with mobile phone use (4.5 billion), is dramatically changing technology. Currently, Facebook is valued at $75…
States Consider Online Gambling to Raise Revenue By Oregon Tax News As states struggle to balance their budgets, they constantly search for new ways to increase revenue and decrease their deficits. Although there is a federal ban on Internet gambling, several states, led by New Jersey, battle to legalize online gambling by initiating state laws…
Oregonians flock to Washington to avoid tax bite By Oregon Tax News, Despite the decline in home sales, Clark County attracted 22 percent more out-of-town residents in 2010 than in 2009. Real estate experts believe the absence of income tax and low home prices contributed to the influx of new residents. Clark County boasts some…
Little People Stars Sue Washington County building inspectors By Oregon Tax News Little People, Big World stars Amy and Matt Roloff decided to sue Washington County for $200,000 and legal costs after John Wheeler, a Washington County building services inspector, allegedly trespassed on their Hillsboro farm on July 16, 2010. The complaint holds that Amy…
Texas Free Market Policies Beat California’s Economic Strategy Texas managed to pull itself out of the recession with its free market policies during a time when California’s economy continues to decline. The Chief Executive magazine ranked California as the worst business climate in the nation, while Texas’ ranked the best. Experts attribute Texas’ vast natural…
Warning Signs for Renewable Energy By Oregon Tax News Signs of renewable energy storm clouds… – 86% of new Congress Freshmen oppose climate change legislation – 17 Senators signed a letter calling ethanol indefensible and unwise – Both Al Gore and Obama’s Energy Secretary Steven Chu blasted ethanol in the past few weeks – The…
Money is not the teacher problem in Portland By Richard Leonetti, By Oregon Tax News, A response to the Portland Public School’s call for a half-billion education bond and The Oregonian Editorial Board’s response. Not so fast with a property tax increase of $2.00 per thousand for Portland Schools. Portland Schools already have borrowed $470…
By Oregon Tax News, – Did you know that of the 50 best-performing CEOs in the world only 14 had an MBA? Josh Kaufman, a 28-year-old entrepreneur and former assistant brand manager for Procter & Gamble (P&G), thinks business school is a waste of time and money. Instead of paying $80,000 to $100,000 to attain…
The youth jobless numbers are staggering, and it is wrecking housing, consumer spending and marriage rates By Oregon Tax News, This year, the nation hit a record high unemployment rate more than 17% of 20 to 24-year-olds. The Labor Department reports that even young adults with college degrees face a 9.3% jobless rate. The figure…
By Oregon Tax News, How Would the Expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts Affect Oregonians? The Bush tax cuts, set to expire at the end of the year, have many Americans worried about how it will affect their taxes. According to the Wall Street Journal, “If returning lawmakers don’t pass legislation by December 31, the…
$107M flap caused by one state’s highest paid By Oregon Tax News, State radio network is 22% over budget Plans to build a statewide emergency radio network are running late and $107 million over budget, according to internal state audits and reports. The documents indicate that mismanagement, missed deadlines and hidden costs have pushed up…
Oregon, Washington and Virginia Eye Liquor Reform By Oregon Tax News, In November, Washington voters will have the opportunity to vote on two initiatives regarding the privatization of liquor stores and revising laws concerning regulation, taxation and government revenues from the distribution and sale of spirits. If passed, Initiatives 1100 and 1105 will close state…
Tax increases on oil companies, soda pop, income and parcels failedin June. Oil tax loses in Congress At the federal level, Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent Senator from Vermont, led the unsuccessful Congressional effort to pass legislation to repeal oil tax breaks. Senator Sanders argued that big oil companies make billions in profits and do…
Oregon Provides Compensation for Lost Wages By Oregon tax News, Oregon is one of a few states that dedicates funds, paid by Oregon employers, to cover unpaid wages when a company fails and does not have money for payroll. Last year, the average payout was about $1,048 per worker. The fund pays amounts equal to…
The IRS Takes the Thrill Out of Gambling By Oregon Tax News, Thanks to the IRS, successful gamblers may become losers. Those gamblers who win $600 from racetracks and state lotteries, $1,200 or more from slots or bingo, $1,500 from keno, or $5,000 from poker will receive a Form W-2G from the IRS to report…
Gun Industry Faces Decreased Growth By Oregon Tax News As industry revenue levels recede this year, potential for modest growth in gun and ammunition sales through 2015 may still exist. The National Rifle Association (NRA) held its annual meeting in May in Charlotte, North Carolina. The general theme outlined the decline in gun sales despite…
By Oregon Tax News, This week Canon Beach City Hall will be voting on a 1% lodging tax. This tax hike on tourists is designed to attract new tourists. The logic behind raising taxes on people as a way to attract them seems contradictory. Here is an important question to ask. Why is there a…
FCC Proposes Internet Tax By Oregon Tax News, On tax day before the Senate Commerce Committee, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed the National Broadband Plan that would expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) tax on landline and cell phones to include broadband internet. The FCC estimates the National Broadband Plan will cost $350 billion…
Several reports show continual problems with Oregon and Federal stimulus spending By Oregon Tax News, Oregon State officials boast more that the 2009 Legislature’s trumpeted economic stimulus package created or retained 7,500, a feat just shy of the 8,000-plus jobs reported for Oregon under the far bigger federal stimulus program. Yet, Oregon reports spending about…
Oregon #9 in Foreclosures but #37 in Home Insurance Costs By Oregon Tax News, Oregon ranked as one of the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rate in the nation according to a recent survey. Earlier this year, RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, released its January 2010 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report…
States Consider Holding Tax Returns to Save Money By Oregon Tax News USA Today reported that California, Hawaii, Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, Idaho and New York are considering delaying issuing refunds because the states did not have the cash on hand to cover the costs. The delays come as states continue to face deep budget…
By Oregon Tax News, This month President Obama released a budget plan that emphasizes new spending freezes and fiscal accountability but comes with an extraordinary price tag. Overall, the budget reveals federal spending will grow to $3.72 trillion dollars in the 2010 fiscal year and will increase to $3.83 trillion in 2011. The Obama Administration…
Tax News: Tax Preparers, Tanning Beds, Pets January 15, 2010 By Oregon Tax News, New regulations, taxes, and fees and even some interesting new tax credits may be in store for this year. Federal agencies and Congress will consider numerous policy proposals that will increase regulatory action, increase taxation, and even provide a tax breaks. …
By Oregon Tax News, Due to the ongoing economic crisis, Oregon’s Indian gaming industry suffered a 1.2 percent decline in revenue last year, placing the state No. 24 among the 31 Indian gaming states. According to economist Alan Meister and his recently released annual Indian Gaming Industry Report, no new tribes entered the gaming business…
Oregon TaxNews, Americans for Tax Reform did a calculation of what each state’s top income tax rate would be ifthe Bush 2001 tax cuts expire. The results are ranked from best to worst with nine states being tied ofr the first spot as these states have no income tax. Oregon was noted for being the…
By Oregon Tax News, On December 8th, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn and Senator John McCain released their Stimulus Checkup Report. The report lists 100 projects as part of the $700 billion stimulus program targeted as waste. Four Oregon projects made the list are listed below; Recovering Crab Pots Lost At Sea ($700,000) A $700,000 grant…
By Oregon Tax News, Holiday shoppers will get an early start this year whether they are ready or not. Retail giants have embarked on an advertising spending spree in an attempt to lure bargain shoppers to their stores earlier this year, signaling the economy may be on the rebound. Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Gap all…
Taxpayers foot the bill for environmental lawsuits The federal government spends about the same amount of money funding environmental lawyers as it does to protect endangered species according to an investigation conducted by a Wyoming lawyer who defends farmers and ranchers involved in environmental lawsuits. According to the Capital Press, Karen Budd-Falen was curious how…
Oregonians Face Scores of New Taxes By Oregon Tax News — Often overlooked, smaller tax increases will be facing thousands of Oregon homeowners, in addition to possible new taxes in Multnomah County, Hood River and Ashland. Recent local proposals include an extension of the Ashland meals tax, along with increased driver registration fees and higher…
Oregon Faces Paycheck Decline By Oregon Tax News Oregon is near bottom in wage growth and it could get worse. According the United States Census Bureau, Oregon is currently ranked eighth in lowest pay check growth across the country. The rise of unemployment in Oregon gives employers the opportunity to take advantage of the abundance…
By Oregon Tax News, States across the nation are cutting taxes to boost stagnant economies. Texas, Arizona, and Maine are all taking steps to lower taxes. A recent study by former U.S. Treasury economist Robert Carroll shows that states with lower corporate tax rates have higher wage gains and more productivity over time.
Business bankruptcies climb, Oregon third on undesirable list By Oregon Tax News In statistics compiled by AACER (Automated Access to Court Electronic Records) Oregon ranked third in the nation in percentage increase for business bankruptcies between the first and second quarters of 2008. Oregon had 214 business bankruptcies in the first quarter growing to…
Use The Health Care You Need, We Can Make More John in Oregon When we have a limited budget for medical care, who gets that care? For Statists only so much medical care exists in the world. Your gain is my loss. Older people spend a lot more on doctors than younger people. Should the…
Oregon businesses that do not provide health insurance for its workers might face up to a 10-percent payroll tax increase. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is working on a bill to finance ObamaCare. Under Speaker Pelosi’s plan, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, firms with employee payrolls above $250,000, and without a company health plan, would pay…
Oregon Tax News, In the waning days of the 2009 Oregon Legislative session the Legislature attempted to address the state’s increasing water demand by passing House Bill 3369, titled “The 2009 Water Investment Act.” The bill directs the Water Resources Department to develop a state-wide, integrated water resources strategy. The state-wide strategy is intended to…
Oregon Tax News 6/15/2009 Pacific Ethanol’s subsidiary that operates the 40 million gallon Boardman ethanol plant was one of five subsidiaries that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy recently. Company officials indicated that the plant would continue to operate. The Boardman plant is the only one of Pacific Ethanol’s four corn ethanol plants still operating. Both…
John in Oregon, Humorist P.J. O’Rourke’s latest effort in the Wall Street Journal satirizes that “The fate of Detroit isn’t a matter of economics. It’s a tragic romance, whose magic was killed by bureaucrats, bad taste and busybodies.” With a razor sharp keyboard O’Rourke drills down to the heart of the problem saying; “We became…
International Taxation: In an effort to pay for its increased spending the Obama Administration is going after corporate overseas earnings. This could mean diminished competitiveness for U.S. companies operating overseas. Companies like Intel and Nike would suffer under new rules proposed by the Administration. “The bottom line is they have proposed a tax increase of…
At a time when ticket sales and attendance at sporting venues across the country seem to be plunging, the city of Portland is relying on its own counter projections of increased attendance and ticket sales in order to finance its new baseball stadium. As you may recall, the Portland City Council recently voted 3-2 to…
By Richard Leonetti, The planning and costs for the Portland-Vancouver seem to be way off the charts. Why should it take so long and cost so much? The latest version is to replace two bridges now in place of about 3,150 ft in length. The new one will include 3 lanes each way but have available six…
The Oregon Education Association letter to the editor (link) is another attack against the successful Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA) virtual charter school. This campaign of misinformation will do serious harm to students and to one of Oregon’s successful schools. The letter actually attempts to cast the public charter school in the same light as bailout money…
By Richard Leonetti, The stimulus package being discussed, now, I believe is too much. Spending beyond just the “safety net” (unemployment, health payments) is not going to be cost effective. Great politics but lousy economics. Tax rebates will be saved, not spent, just as they were with the earlier stimulus. No one will hire for…
By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon 12-15-08 Only 8 years after our last big financial boom ended in a bust we have an even bigger bust in the housing and debt markets that has brought us to the edge an entire collapse of the financial system. Millions have lost houses, jobs and Retirement savings and…
Oregon’s Big Land Use Swindle By Margaret Goodwin The Oregon Land Use Act required every city and county in Oregon to implement a Comprehensive Plan, and created a taxpayer-funded bureaucracy, the Land Conservation and Development Commission, to impose mandatory statewide standards with which all Comprehensive Plans must comply. One of their goals was to prevent…
By Richard Leonetti, If you got the impression from headlines that spending by the State of Oregon had to fall by almost $1 billion in the next two years you would be wrong. What the revenue office really said was that revenue was expected to fall by $946 million from earlier projections but the new…
Global Economic Lessons for Oregon By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon, 10/08 “In the decade before 2005, American consumers were the growth engine for the world economy, accounting for more than half of global consumer spending. The balance of power is now shifting.” – Dave Have, Wall Street Journal Introduction The world is changing economically…
By Richard Leonetti, Secretary Bradbury wrote an op-ed piece saying we should not drill for oil. His arguments were riddled with contradictions and some speculation. He asserts that expanded drilling will increase gasoline demand. Actually increased drilling has no affect on demand but will increase domestic supply or keep it from falling as it is…
Solar Power Leaks Tax Dollars Bob Clark August 15, 2008 Rooftop solar electric systems are prohibitively costly to manufacture and install with or without government subsidies. As reported in the Oregonian, page E1, August 8, 2008, a 2000 watt solar system costs about $21,000 including installation. Under existing tax credit financing structures, the buyer of…
By Margaret Goodwin, Some people invest their life savings in stocks and bonds, others sock it away in bank accounts to pay for their kids’ education and their retirement. Seventeen years ago, the Ockendens invested their savings in a 158 acre parcel of land in a rural residential area in Josephine County, where they live.…
by Andy High During the recent boom years in 2003-2005, sellers were calling the shots – dictating prices and terms to multiple bidders who were knocking down their doors in many markets. Today, with the real estate market slowing in many parts of the country, all the market fundamentals show that buyers are now in…
By Jim Thompson, Exec. Dir. Oregon State Pharmacy Association With another session of the Oregon Legislature complete, major emphasis was on healthcare where results showed the more effort government puts into healthcare reform the more the pattern stays the same. As we tilt at windmills in moving toward universal healthcare, one pattern stands out above…
by Andy High Many of you may not know but the Legislature gave school districts taxing authority without requiring a vote of the people. In 2007, the Legislature passed the SB 1036 which allows school districts to charge a construction excise tax. This allows school districts to charge up to $1.00 per sq foot on…
By Britt Storkson Governments today are finding it increasingly difficult to raise taxes without major public outcry and threats to their re-election. Not satisfied with cutting spending to stay within what they receive in taxes governments don’t just go away – they go somewhere else to separate taxpayers from their money. Often that somewhere else…
by Jason Williams Mel Zucker of the Oregon Transportation Institute never believed the hype about a public demand to build a light rail from Hillsboro to Forest Grove and people wanting a train from Beaverton to Wilsonville. Zucker called Tri-Met for the ridership data to see if the thriving metropolis of Forest Grove was truly…
By Larry Huss The Oregon Leadership Forum was held again at the beginning of December. It was the fourth, fifth, sixth time, I’ve lost track because they all look the same and they all follow a predictable agenda – one that is designed never to contradict the popular wisdom of Oregon’s entrenched Democrat governors. When…
By Greg Wasson It is common to lament the big, often out-of-state “abuse” of the initiative process by hearkening back to the days when Oregon initiatives were pure expressions of home-grown populist yearnings, uncontaminated by inter-state commerce. Problem is, those days existed only briefly, if ever. Less than a decade after the initiative’s creation, the…
by Kurt Weber A likely contract between Library Systems & Services, LLC and Jackson County, Oregon would reduce annual operating costs from $8.75 million to $4.3 million. The 15-branch Jackson County Library Systems has been closed since early April, due to the anticipated end of a federal timber payments program. The $4.3 million contract is…
Posted by: Gienie Assink After years of endless debate, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is revising existing plans to replace the land use allocations and management direction proposed under the Northwest Forest Plan in order to better meet the agency’s dual goals of providing a sustained flow of timber output and providing for habitat…
by Jason Williams The federal minimum wage just went up this month from $5.15 to $5.85. How many people were trapped under this low-wage system? Turns out that only .35% of the 140 million working Americans get paid the minimum wage. Seems like the private sector is doing just fine rising wages without government mandates.…
by Andy High With talk all through out Oregon about how to make home more affordable, governments continue to continue to bring up one bad idea after another but one of the worst is Inclusionary Zoning. Inclusionary Zoning requires the developers who want to develop their land to set aside a certain portion of it…
by Kurt Weber Oregon local government officials take note of Sandy Springs, Georgia. “Indeed, the experiment in Sandy Springs, Ga., has proved that local governments don’t need hundreds of public employees to function. Sandy Springs, a fast-growing town of more than 80,000 residents, has only four public employees who are not involved with public safety.…
by Margaret Goodwin Lately, a number of people have been arguing that the prospect of increased timber harvesting on the O&C lands is an attempt to return to an unstable timber economy, and that we should be focusing instead on developing other more stable industries to sustain our local economy. This isn’t an either/or situation.…
by Wayne Brady The Marion County Commissioners have been committed to dealing with an increasingly difficult situation with criminal aliens. Criminal aliens have been a significant direct cost to the County as well as incurring costs to the victims of their illegal behavior. One policy change the Commissioners wanted to implement immediately was to have…
By Larry Huss There are few opportunities in Oregon for a plebiscite by only those directly impacted by the decision. But this December Oregon taxpayers are going to have just such an opportunity. In December the state is required to refund to Oregon taxpayers approximately $1.1 billion dollars in excess taxes collected in 2006. Already,…
by Wayne Brady Government agencies have an uncanny ability to mess things up. In 2004, people from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office delivered confiscated illegal fireworks to the Marion County garbage-burning plant in Brooks. The Fire Marshall failed to let the people at the Brooks facility the explosive nature of the material they delivered.…
By Larry Huss There is a recession looming and Oregon is, once again, ill prepared to deal with it. No, I’m not an economist or a market analyst, or, for that matter, I didn’t even stay at a Holiday Inn Express. But a friend of mine, Jim Stack, President of Investech and a nationally know…
By Jim Karlock We all know that Portland planners just hate sprawl. But just what is sprawl and what does it look like? An online search turned up several definitions of sprawl, all centered around the idea that if it is low density or you have to have a car, it is sprawl. Additional criteria…
by Richard Leonetti The Oregon Legislature has managed to thumb their noses at simple, obvious needs of the people. They are spending $254 million on a new light rail line to Milwaukie (which also needs $500 mil from the Feds–not us either?) and almost nothing on the roads most people use. Another $102 million of…
by Tim Lyman Every once in a while we are granted the opportunity to see just how big an mistake a bureaucrat can make. Unfortunately, these opportunities always come at the expense of citizens. Roy Elicker, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, provides the latest example. Six years ago Franchesca Mantei and…
By Steve Schopp Nearly 8 years ago, the media reported “there is no more clear illustration of our ability to meet the needs of growth than our failure to address our transportation needs. Within the transportation arena we are facing utter chaos.” Since that time the taxpayers have spent around $10 billion in the state…
By Jason Coutts Oregon taxpayers are currently overpaying, to the tune of triple the cost, for police dogs. Further, the State uses, misuses, or bypasses the rules to shut-out local private canine small businesses. A citizen’s investigation into the matter reveals that the State gives false or misleading information in order to cover the misconduct.…
by Tim Lyman “Healthy Kids” is an incremental step towards socialized medicine and a future fiscal and healthcare disaster on many levels. Whatever model is adopted for “Healthy Kids” will be the model for complete socialized medicine in Oregon. The current argument among Republicans seems to be simply over how to pay for it (or…
by Jason Williams Well today is the day that postage rates increase by 2-cents. It came to no surprise that when I went to pick up the new postcard stamps last Friday that the new postcard stamps were not in. This is the same problem I encountered when they raised post rates last time. Their…
by Guest Opinion The Oregon Legislative Assembly is planning to convene a special session on February 4, 2008 for purposes of “testing” annual legislative sessions. Yet it is far from clear whether the Legislative Assembly has constitutional authority to convene a special session for this purpose. Article IV, Section 10 of the Oregon Constitution specifically…
by Jason Williams Gov. Kulongoski’s 20% budget increase is going to leave Oregon with a $1.3 billion dollar deficit according to preliminary budget analysis. That means the next legislature may have to pass $1.3 billion in new taxes to keep up. Contributing to the problem is the timing of when Kulongoski’s programs go into effect.…
By Dave Mowry “Oregon is taking cultural competency to a level never seen before.” Felice Goodenough (sp) from the NY Times on NPR, “Justice Talking Debates”. “What Oregon is doing in cultural competency is unique. Oregon is way ahead of the curve.” Northwest Regional Education Research Laboratory. The Oregon Department of Education received a $600,000…
by Jay Bozievich As Lane County contemplates how to increase revenue to support public safety and Portland discusses how to fund education, it is time to discuss how to achieve fiscal sustainability for our public agencies here in Oregon. Missing from these discussions is the root cause of the current instability, the overheated growth in…
by Dave Mowry I read with a wry smile the article in The Oregonian lamenting that more people were not running for the Oregon Legislature. The Oregonian blames this on low pay and long hours and those certainly are factors. But I go farther. I blame The Oregonian itself for it’s mean spirited portrayal of…
by Jason Williams The Supreme Court victory has been a special moment for 93-year old widow and chief petitioner Dorothy English. She has fought with the county for 30 years to win back the property rights they stole from her when she bought it. Dorothy English bought her land 50 years ago with extra land…
by Britt Storkson Have you looked at your phone bill lately? Taxes on my phone service now are running at about 24%. After a multi-year battle with our local electric power utility to get illegally installed power lines on my property removed I did some checking into the power utility itself. The power company Wasco…
Tuesday, January 10. 2006 by Wayne Brady Several months ago, I had an idea that I thought would make the Education Service Districts (ESDs) more efficient. Under current law, the ESDs receive a fixed percentage of the state school fund and the school districts receive the balance. The ESDs then provide services to the school…
Wednesday, January 4. 2006 In my last post I described how Oregon’s high minimum wage was causing high unemployment for teenagers and young adults. Now I want to talk about how Oregon’s other minimum wage law negatively impact Oregon. Specifically the Prevailing Wage Laws for public contracting known as the “Little Davis-Bacon Act“.These laws require…
By Jason Williams Thursday, December 29. 2005 The year began and ended with political incivility in Oregon by liberals. The political year started with President Bush’s inaugural speech where shouting protesters in the audience did everything possible to stop his speech. The protesters were from Eugene and were able to get great, up-close seat tickets…
By Dave Mowry Wednesday, December 28. 2005 When it comes to Cultural Competency, Hasso Herring, editor of the Albany Democrat Herald, said in a May editorial, “Mao had his cultural revolution and Vietnam sent people to re-education camps. Some education leaders in Oregon can’t duplicate those efforts, but they are doing what they can.” A…
By Jay Bozievich Wednesday, December 7. 2005 Sound the trumpets! Beat the drums! Oregon has a 6.0% unemployment rate! On November 14th, Governor Kulongoski made a personal appearance at the Oregon Employment Department to announce the news that Oregon unemployment rate was down to 4-year low of 6.0%. Kulongoski crowed to all those gathered, “You…
By Wayne Brady, Monday, December 5. 2005 Recently, we have seen some horrible examples of poor management in Oregon state government reported in the press. I suspect these examples are only a small sample of what is going on behind the scenes. I think this is true because the people responsible for the errors have…
By Jay Bozievich Guest editorial, As Lane County contemplates how to increase revenue to support public safety, it is time to discuss how to achieve fiscal sustainability for our public agencies here in Oregon. Missing from these discussions is the root cause of the current instability, the overheated growth in the cost of labor to…
Oregon needs a flat tax, not sales tax By Jason Williams Also featured in Brainstorm Magazine May 2005 The tax reform Oregon needs is to flatten our income tax into a flat tax. Reduce, simplify and streamline is the answer to our state’s tax woes. An ideal state flat tax would tax all income levels…
Why the liberation was a necessary foreign policy expenditure and an effective federal campaign against terrorism. http://www.oregontaxnews.com/Iraq-report.pdf
By Steve Schopp In a newspaper story last year about Portland’s effort to lure major league baseball, there was some interesting points to be found about those cities trying to lure the Expos baseball team. Different positives and negatives were featured in writing about these cities. The city, Charlotte North Carolina, had a negative check…
By Jay Bozievich From the presidential race down to the Oregon ballot measures, many choices in this election boil down to trust: Do you trust people to use their own free will? How you answer that question will determine how you vote. President Bush’s proposals on reforms to rescue Social Security from bankruptcy hinge on…
By Hon. Thomas Wilde, Our legislature was established for one primary purpose, to establish a balanced budget. All else is superfluous, from a constitutional perspective. However, in that exclusive club better known as the legislature, there is a “team” mentality. Many a fine legislator is pulled into the mistaken belief that those on the “team”…
By Rob Kremer, Oregon Education Coalition The Dramatic Drop in Scores from Last Year Illustrates Flaws in Oregon’s Assessment System Nearly eight out of ten sophomores at Oregon high schools failed to meet the state standard in this winter’s tenth grade math problem-solving assessment. “This further illustrates the serious validity and reliability problems that plague…
By Rep. Ron Maurer The hysteria whipped up by liberal “universalist” politicos is utterly amazing. It underlies the reality that they cannot, they do not, and they will not debate healthcare reform on the merits of the arguments. A first-order assumption in their argument is that universal healthcare is the desired goal. This premise belies…
By Larry Huss Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has introduced his version of universal healthcare. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has introduced her modified version of universal healthcare backing up, at least initially, from her widely repudiated version proposed during the Clinton years. Both suffer from two significant defects – first, they put the government in…