Metro Nature Parks: Inaccessible by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last month Metro auditor Brian Evans released an…
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Metro Nature Parks are Hidden by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. In June the elected Auditor for Metro published…
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A Holiday Wishlist for Oregon
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. ‘Tis the season for holiday wishes. And, toward that…
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Tolling’s Political Pile-Up
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. If the Oregon Department of Transportation has its way,…
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Private Property Saved the Plymouth Pilgrims
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This Thanksgiving let’s give thanks to the Pilgrims who…
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For Oregon’s New Governor, Great Power Comes with Great Responsibility
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It’s the day after Election Day and the votes…
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No on Measure 26-225: Metro’s Parks and Nature Program Needs a Reset
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Yet again, Metro is asking for more money for…
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Lights Out: A Lesson in Local Government
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Last week, an Oregonian story reported that for years,…
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Portland Needs More Than Zoning Changes to Increase Housing Supply
By Taylor Marks Starting July 1, Portland property owners will have new choices…
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Portland’s Self-Inflicted Rental Housing Shortage
By Micah Perry According to a revised report from economic consulting firm ECONorthwest,…
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Nostalgia and NIMBYism Stand in the Way of Sheltering the Homeless
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. For more than a year, Cascade Policy Institute has…
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Metro’s Playing Farmville With Taxpayer Money
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. People in the Portland area love their parks and…
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Oregon’s Land is Overregulated
By Micah Perry Land use regulations in Oregon are adversely impacting the state’s…
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Testimony of John Charles Before the Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery Regarding SB 1546-1
By John A. Charles, Jr. February 3, 2022Senate Natural Resources CommitteeState CapitolSalem, OR…
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Metro’s New Parks Took Too Long, Leave Too Much to Be Desired
By Micah Perry In December 2021, Metro, the Portland-area regional government, opened Newell…
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Testimony of John Charles Before the State Land Board Regarding the DSL Strategic Plan
By John A. Charles, Jr. Testimony of John A. Charles, Cascade Policy InstituteBefore…
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Fudged Numbers and a Failed Response
By Micah Perry It’s been more than six years since Portland declared a…
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Should anyone care about the new Washington Square Regional Plan?
By John A. Charles, Jr. The Tigard City Council is going through the…
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A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Shake Up Metro
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With the retirement of Bob Stacey earlier this month,…
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The Real Problem with Metro’s Parks and Nature Spending
By Micah Perry Over the course of more than 25 years, Metro’s parks…
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A Developer’s Departure Gives Portland a Chance to Reconsider Its Priorities
By Micah Perry At a time when many Portlanders are sleeping on sidewalks,…
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Big Questions for Harriet Tubman Middle School Property
By Mia Tiwana Portland’s Harriet Tubman Middle School might be on the move….
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Portland’s Housing Affordability Debacle
By Stew Robertson The City of Portland’s housing state of emergency, first declared…
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Homelessness Is More Than a Branding Problem
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Portland’s housing crisis is now in its sixth year….
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Portland Cannot Ignore “Low-Impact” Camps
A proposed ordinance aims to deprioritize some homeless camps considered “low impact” By…
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PDX to Invest $150,000 in Failed Housing Policy
Portland’s policy of Inclusionary Zoning makes housing less affordable for families. By Vlad…
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Portland’s Homeless Policy Must Switch Gears to Achieve Long-Term Results
Doubling down on failing policy puts both homeless residents and taxpayers at risk…
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Press Release: Re: Metro Council Resolution No. 21-5171
April 29, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cascade Policy Institute4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.,…
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Testimony Re: Metro Council Resolution No. 21-5171—Multnomah County Local Implementation Plan
Via Email April 29, 2021 Metro Council600 NE Grand Ave.Portland, OR 97232 Re: …
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Vlad Yurlov, Policy Analyst at Cascade Policy Institute, provided testimony on Portland City Council’s Shelter to Housing Continuum
Via emailMarch 30, 2021 Portland City Council, I’m Vlad Yurlov, policy analyst at…
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Design Review Is Growing Portland’s Housing Crisis
Subjective rules reduce the supply of housing By Vlad Yurlov Portland City Council…
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A Vision for Homeless Services: Open Up the Expo Center
By Vlad Yurlov and Eric Fruits, Ph.D. A recent Oregonian/OregonLive editorial criticizes Metro’s…
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Why Is “Affordable Housing” So Expensive?
By Vlad Yurlov Why is “affordable housing” so expensive? Many politicians, bureaucrats, and…
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Press Release: Cascade Policy Institute Offers Straightforward Solutions to Oregon’s Homeless Crisis
January 22, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Office: (503) 242-0900eric@cascadepolicy.org…
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Metro needs to break down barriers to nature
By Helen Doran In Metro’s latest quarterly newsletter, “Our Big Backyard,” the reader…
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The Region’s New Transfer Station Means Frills and Bills
By Vlad Yurlov Would you like to have a nice picnic near a…
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Avoidable Expenses for Affordable Housing
By Vlad Yurlov While many people in the Portland region value efficient governments,…
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It’s Creepy Season: Metro’s Haunted Lands
By Helen Doran Did you know that more than three-fourths of Metro’s park…
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Metro’s Broken Promise of Racial Equity
By Helen Doran A scenic drive through the country does not usually call…
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Metro’s $700,000 Sentiment
By Helen Cook On June 25th, Metro approved $700,000 in taxpayer money for…
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Metro has a history of breaking promises to voters. The housing bond measure is no exception.
By Rachel Dawson Metro has a history of breaking promises to voters. This…
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The Housing Crisis Isn’t a Portland Problem; It’s a UGB Problem
By Rachel Dawson Portland’s housing crisis isn’t unique to the Metro region. Other…
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Metro’s Housing Tax Requires Serious Oversight
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. At the first—and likely only—public hearing on Metro’s “supportive…
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Cascade Policy Institute Raises Concerns Metro Is Flouting Oregon Public Meetings Law
Transparency is critical as Metro asks voters to trust the agency with billions…
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Eric Fruits, Vice President of Research of Cascade Policy Institute submitted testimony to Metro Council regarding the lax oversight of Metro’s Parks and Nature Program
Press Release: Eric Fruits, Vice President of Research of Cascade Policy Institute submitted testimony…
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New Portland Design Guideline Will Place Responsibility for Homeless Crisis on Private Property Owners
By Rachel Dawson There is a homeless crisis in Portland. According to a…
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Voters Should Reject Ballot Measure 26-203
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. By now, Oregon voters have received their ballots for…
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Enough Is Enough: Voters Should Reject Metro’s Bond Measure
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. By now Oregon voters have received their ballots for…
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Press Release: Cascade Policy Institute Publishes Comprehensive Study of Metro’s Parks and Nature Program
October 15, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: John A. Charles, Jr. Eric…
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Hidden Lands, Unknown Plans: A Quarter Century of Metro’s Natural Areas Program
By Vladislav Yurlov, Helen Cook, and Micah Perry with Eric Fruits, Ph.D., research…
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Where Is Our Metro Park at Chehalem Ridge?
By Helen Cook This summer, I was walking on an old logging road…
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Public Debt for Public Housing
By Vlad Yurlov In the 2018 general election, voters approved a bond measure…
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Read My Lips: Metro’s Promises Are Doubtful at Best
By Miranda Bonifield There’s nothing so permanent as a temporary government program, and…
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Oregon Taxpayers Can’t Celebrate $146 Million Debt Service on the Elliott State Forest
By John A. Charles, Jr. This week our State Treasurer, Tobias Read, issued…
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Rent Control Is a Steal
By Miranda Bonifield Remember that emotional final episode of the now-classic sitcom Friends?…
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Press Release: Report shows Oregon’s “smart growth” policies make housing less affordable for Oregonians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 john@cascadepolicy.org PORTLAND, Ore….
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Can National Parks’ Operations Be Funded with User Fees? National Park Service Says Yes!
By Rachel Dawson Whether or not you have ever visited a national park,…
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The Housing Affordability Crisis: The Role of Anti-Sprawl Policy
By Randall Pozdena, Ph.D. Executive Summary So-called smart growth policies are advocated as…
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A Proposal To Generate Adequate Returns From Common School Trust Lands
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Summary of Conclusions Across the Western States, approximately 80…
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Better Forest Management Can Prevent Oregon WIldfires
By Justus Armstrong Wildfires in Oregon this summer have burned thousands of acres,…
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23 Million Reasons for Metro to Repeal Its Construction Excise Tax
By Jakob Puckett How much do we have to tax something to make…
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Private Developers Leading the Way for Affordable Housing
By Rachel Dawson The Metro Council voted June 7 to place a housing…
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Metro’s November Bond Measure Would Make All Housing More Costly
By John A. Charles, Jr. Metro recently decided to refer a $652.8 million…
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Is Metro’s Affordable Housing Plan Really That Affordable?
By Rachel Dawson The Metro City Council voted June 7 to place a…
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Amateur Hour at the State Land Board
By John A. Charles, Jr. Oregon owns 1.5 million acres of School Trust…
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Study: School Trust income would go up by 600% if lands were sold
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 john@cascadepolicy.org PORTLAND, Ore….
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Poll Shows Voters Are Smarter Than Politicians Think
By John A. Charles, Jr. In November the regional government, Metro, released the…
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Straightforward policy reforms can reverse Oregon’s lower-than-average incomes and high cost of living
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon’s economy seems to be chugging along, yet many…
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Tolling People on to Portland’s Highways
By John A. Charles, Jr. Earlier this year the state legislature passed a…
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Oregon’s affordable housing crisis can be attributed to restrictive land use policies
By Lydia White Affordable housing advocates are quick to criticize Portland City Council’s…
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Metro’s New Plan to Keep Voters out of Chehalem Ridge Nature Park
By John A. Charles, Jr. On October 19 the Metro Council adopted an…
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Timber Conservation and Oregon’s Constitution Shouldn’t Be at Odds
By Lydia White Last week the Idaho Department of State Lands and the…
Read Blog DetailFloor Memo Regarding Bond Funding for the Elliott State Forest
TO: Members of the Oregon Legislature FM: John Charles for Cascade Policy Institute…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Should Take the Deal
By Lydia White At a time when Legislators threaten to slash government services…
Read Blog DetailSelling Bonds to Buy the Elliott State Forest Would Be a Breach of Fiduciary Trust
By John A. Charles, Jr. State Treasurer Tobias Read has announced that he…
Read Blog DetailHow Portland’s Inclusionary Zoning Policy Makes Development Less Affordable
By Lydia White The City of Portland’s inclusionary zoning* requirements have turned a…
Read Blog DetailIt’s Finally Time to Sell the Elliott State Forest
By John A. Charles, Jr. At the February 14 meeting of the State…
Read Blog DetailLand Board Votes to Sell Elliott State Forest
By John A. Charles, Jr. On February 14 the Oregon State Land Board…
Read Blog DetailHow Much Is the Elliott State Forest Worth to Oregon Schools? (Don’t Forget the Value of Compounding)
By John A. Charles, Jr. Advocates of public schools frequently complain about the…
Read Blog DetailPortland’s Zoning Policies Make the Housing Crisis Worse
By Lydia White The masterminds behind Portland’s newest inclusionary zoning recommendations have proven…
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Using Disparate Impact to Restore Housing Affordability and Property Rights
By Randall O’Toole Executive Summary Portland, Bend, Medford, and to a lesser degree…
Read Blog DetailNew Report Highlights Civil Rights Implications of Oregon Land Use Laws, Urban Growth Boundaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. john@cascadepolicy.org 503-242-0900 PORTLAND, Ore….
Read Blog DetailRepeating Mistakes Is Not a Housing Strategy
The Portland City Council has approved a plan for the Housing Bureau to…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Low-Balls Elliott Timber with Fixed-Price “Bidding”
Last week the Oregon Department of State Lands announced the “fair market value”…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Low-Balls Elliott Timber at $220.8 Million
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 john@cascadepolicy.org PORTLAND,…
Read Blog DetailWhy is the State Land Board selling the Elliott State Forest without competitive bidding?
In August 2015 the Oregon Land Board (Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Fiction: Mansfield Park
“Wretchedly did [Sir Thomas] feel, that with all the cost and care of…
Read Blog DetailPortland Worries About Homelessness, While Metro Makes Housing Less Affordable
The Portland City Council has decided to allocate $20 million to solve a…
Read Blog DetailWhen Will the State Land Board Restore the “Trust” in Oregon’s State Trust Lands?
By Anna Mae Kersey When Oregon joined the Union in 1859, it…
Read Blog DetailRestore the Trust in State Trust Lands
By Anna Mae Kersey When Oregon joined the Union, the U.S. Congress granted…
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Media Release: The Case of the Disappearing Backyard
February 25, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900…
Read Blog DetailThe Elliott State Forest Should Be an Asset―Not a Liability―for Oregon Schools
By Jordan Lofthouse, Randy Simmons, and John A. Charles, Jr. With Oregon’s schools…
Read Blog DetailTime for a “New Business Model” for the Elliott State Forest
Oregon’s political leaders have the chance to do what they frequently ask of…
Read Blog DetailIt’s Time to Change Our Failed Federal Lands Policy
In 1976, Congress changed its “policy” regarding our public lands (Federal Lands Policy Management Act, or FLPMA). This “policy” change sought to retain public lands in federal ownership―ignoring the 200-year-old obligation of Congress to transfer title to our public lands.
Read Blog DetailReport Shows Possibilities for Elliott State Forest to Make Money for Oregon Schools
Today, the Cascade Policy Institute released a report analyzing the range of policy…
Read Blog DetailA Prescription for Affordable Housing in Portland
A new issue faces Portland. City Hall is considering waiving development fees for developers of market-rate housing in the Old Town Chinatown district.
Read Blog DetailLeave Lodging Alone
On July 2, the Portland City Council held a hearing on proposed amendments to the Zoning Code concerning short-term rentals. The council chambers were packed with citizens who support legalizing renting one or two bedrooms from a primary residence.
Read Blog DetailThe “Sharing Economy” Benefits Homeowners, Guests
By Everet Rummel An emerging sector of many local economies is “homesharing,” or…
Read Blog DetailElliott State Forest Management Puts Small Birds over Small Kids
By John A. Charles, Jr. Last year the S&P 500 Index had a…
Read Blog DetailAirbnb, Destructive Innovation, and Liberty
By William Newell Portland is brainstorming regulations for temporary lodging made possible by…
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