PODCAST · news
Cascade CounterPoint
by Cascade Policy Institute
Sit back and listen to Cascade Policy Institute explain the latest research on Oregon's important issues. Cascade advances public policy ideas that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility, and market-based economic opportunity. Visit us at www.cascadepolicy.org
Episodes
-
QP We Can't Afford Metro's Affordable Housing
Metro promised voters affordable housing. Instead, its 2018 housing bond has produced some of the least affordable subsidized units in Oregon history. Why? Metro insisted on funding almost exclusively three to six story buildings—projects that require elevators, oversized common areas, and far…
more -
QP IP28’s Radical Attempt to Kill Oregon’s Way of Life
Hunting, fishing, farming, and ranching have been a way of life in Oregon for thousands of years — from Native American stewardship to the 35,000 farms and ranches operating here today. But a small group of initiative petitioners is now gathering signatures for IP28, a measure that would...
-
QP PPS’ Failed Equity Policy: No Evidence, No Results
PPS briefly revisited its Racial Educational Equity Policy — and once again, the contradictions are hard to ignore. As Cascade president John Charles noted in his letter to the board, the District’s Equity Funding Policy has been in place for more than ten years, yet PPS has never shown whether…
more -
QP The False Promise of Portland's "All Electric" High Schools
Portland Public Schools threw itself a party last week to celebrate breaking ground on the new $460 million dollar Jefferson High School. And The Oregonian dutifully repeated the talking point that the building would be “all electric powered.” Sounds impressive… until you look at the details....
-
QP New York Says Yes to Scholarships--Oregon Should Too
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced her intent this month to opt into the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit—also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit. That makes her the 30th governor to signal support, and the second Democrat to do so, after Jared Polis of Colorado. Congress created...
-
QP Defeating M120 is a Win for the Oregon System
It’s election time! And the Oregonian editorial board sent a bouquet of sorts to our friends at “No Tax Oregon” when they recommended a “no” vote on Measure 120—Oregon’s $4 billion transportation tax. “The O” urged voters to “drive a stake through the heart of this cursed transportation package.”...
-
QP Oregon Metro's War on Cars
Metro is rolling out new strategies and transit plans in what looks more and more like a war on cars — and Cascade is calling out the baseless evidence they’ve leaned on for thirty five years. At an April council meeting, Cascade President John Charles delivered pointed testimony against two…
more -
QP The $60 Million Question: Where Did the CBSE Go?
Portland Public Schools has a $60 million question on its hands: What happened to the Center for Black Student Excellence voters approved in 2020? That project was written directly into the bond language. Voters were told their money would build a dedicated center focused on Black student...
-
QP 42k Texas Parents Apply for School Choice
At last count, more than one and a half million children now benefit from school choice programs across the Unites States. With 75 programs in 34 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, more than half of America’s K-12 students are eligible to participate in an educational choice program…
more -
QP Portland Ends School Choice for Jefferson High
In 2011, Portland Public Schools adopted a dual-enrollment policy allowing students in Jefferson High School boundaries to choose from one of three area high schools. Of the twenty-four hundred high schoolers inside its boundaries, about two-thousand have opted for alternatives, leaving Jefferson...
-
QP "Oregon System" Sends Governor Back to Square One
On December 30th, Chief Petitioners plunked down the last pile of signatures on the Secretary of State’s desk. It was a slam dunk for the Oregon System. In a record-breaking 40-ish days, a quarter-million Oregon voters lined up in every county to sign the “Stop the Gas Tax” petition and refer...
-
QP Shrinking 82nd Avenue for People in Cars
At TriMet’s December board meeting, director Tyler Frisbee lectured attendees on how 82nd Avenue business owners and motorists should embrace TriMet’s takeover of auto lanes for exclusive busways. TriMet refers to these as Business Access Transit or BAT lanes—which is Orwell’s doublespeak for the...
-
QP A Better Direction for Oregon's "Prosperity Roadmap"
In early December, Governor Kotek unveiled “Oregon’s Prosperity Roadmap” and laid out “three broad goals” to grow business, jobs, and the economy. While acknowledging Oregon’s economic decline, her roadmap is only an updated cover for the same GPS coordinates: driving prosperity via state…
more -
QP "Fully Funded" Schools are a Moving Goalpost
How much money does it take to “fully fund” Oregon’s public schools? Last month a Joint Committee of the Oregon legislature released a “Report on the Adequacy of Public Education Appropriations.” Oregon’s Fiscal and Policy Research offices examined the level of funding provided by the Legislature...
-
QP Portland Public Schools Risky Real Estate Gamble
On December 2, Portland Public Schools board voted unanimously to purchase the One North commercial building for $16 million to house the Center for Black Student Excellence, but the building’s purchase price is only the beginning. The building needs another $20 to $25 million in renovations and...
-
QP Oregon's 19th Century Energy Strategy
The Oregon Department of Energy, or ODOE, recently published its Oregon Energy Strategy which centers on “decarbonization” by eliminating the generation of fossil fuels in Oregon. ODOE director Janine Benner told the legislature, “It’s not a matter of when the energy transition from fossil fuels...
-
QP "Inspire Oregon" Tackles Rural Housing Crisis
Cascade recently participated in U of O’s Inspire Oregon summit on Rural Housing Policy, where policymakers, administrators, and leaders met to discuss policy and draft recommendations for Oregon’s next legislative session. Discussions centered on a theme: that of navigating state regulations so...
-
QP TriMet Should Focus on Crisis, Not Expansion
TriMet has a Board Retreat this week. Looking at their agenda, the first thing you’d notice is what’s missing. You won’t find any urgency to address their financial decline—or touch on operating losses of $850 million in 2024. The only agenda items to mention money are the “Financial Scorecard...
-
QP $2 Trillion for Transit and No One Aboard
Since 1965, Congress has been subsidizing transit and taxpayers have spent well over $2 trillion dollars on transit. That’s in the same territory as the U.S. deficit. In these 60 years, transit operating costs have increased 500 percent while fare revenues have ticked up a modest 10 percent.…
more -
QP: Dear PPS Bond Committee: Please Tell the Taxpayers
This week, Cascade’s president, John Charles, testified at Portland Public Schools’ Bond Accountability Committee. He commended BAC’s work reviewing this year’s $2 billion Portland school bond and agreed with their assessment that building three large high schools when enrollment is declining is…
more -
QP: Decision Time for TriMet’s 82nd Ave. Road Diet
The Portland Bureau of Transportation--or PBOT--is spending tens of millions to convert miles of a four-lane state highway, known as 82nd avenue, into a two-lane neighborhood street and busway. TriMet is headed for a contentious decision November 7th to put 82nd Ave on a major “Road Diet,” cut...
-
QP: Over-sized and Over-priced Schools
Last week, Cascade's President, John Charles, emailed a Memo to the Portland Public School Board urging them to consider the Bond Accountability Committee’s concerns about overbuilding high schools. Their report concluded by stating that, “…the district should not be building such large high...
-
QP: Center for Black Student Excellence Should Be a Private Venture
The Portland Public Schools Board is considering the purchase of an 80,000 square foot building to house the “Center for Black Student Excellence.” This triggered a 90-day due diligence review with a final vote in December on whether to purchase the commercial building. While the committee so far...
-
QP: Why Affordable Housing is Unaffordable
Last week KGW news reported that Portland area rents are up 22 percent since pre-pandemic levels. We see it everywhere: so-called “affordable housing” costs have risen so quickly that even though cities and states now spend more money than ever, fewer housing units are being built. In April 2024,...
-
QP: Improve Education Outcomes by Removing Barriers
The National Association of Education Progress (NAEP) annually releases a representative study of students’ academic performance. Known as “the Nation’s Report Card,” NAEP scores are an indicator of how much children are learning. This fall’s report shows only 24 percent of Oregon eighth graders...
-
QP: Oregon’s Electric Vehicle Policy Fail
On September 15, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) released its 2025 Biennial Zero-Emissions Vehicle Report, revealing that Oregon is far behind on its goal of purchasing 250,000 “zero emissions vehicles” (ZEV) by 2025. The report was established in 2019 by SB 1044 to push ZEV adoption. As…
more -
QP: Student Excellence for Every Portland Public School
The Portland Public School board is set to approve the sale for the “One North Building” as a home for the “Center for Black Student Excellence.” The District is prepared to spend $16 million from the 2020 construction bond. Yet, they’ve never explained how the Center will operate or who it will...
-
QP: Separate But Equitable at Portland Public Schools
In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregating school children by race was unconstitutional. As a result, districts across America spent the rest of the century integrating schools. In Portland, though, segregation is back in vogue. A group called Albina Vision Trust began promoting the…
more -
QP: Spending Solutions for ODOT's Spending Problems
The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation Funding will consider legislation this week called “LC 2” as they head into a special session to address transportation funding. The Governor’s Transportation Budget Framework defines the problem as an ODOT “budget gap” that needs to be...
-
QP: The Tapeworm Eating ODOT's Record Gas Tax Revenue
Governor Tina Kotek has called a special session of the legislature to secure more funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). She wants to raise gas taxes by six cents per gallon, double vehicle registration fees, and increase titling fees. The governor claims that ODOT revenue…
more -
QP: Special Session Should Use Emergency Funds
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has a $350 million deficit. Governor Tina Kotek has said that if this funding is not secured, she will lay off about 500 ODOT employees. During the regular legislative session that ended in June, Democrats (who hold a supermajority in both the House...
-
QP: Tina Kotek’s Energy Policy: Whichever Way the Wind Blows
Governor Tina Kotek has long expressed support for wind power. In 2024, the Biden administration approved 195,000acres off the southern Oregon coast for wind farm construction (Wind Energy Areas) as part of its push to grow offshore wind power capacity, which gave her the means to enact this...
-
QP: Metro’s Ballooning Bond for Road Diets
On July 31st, the seven Metro councilors will vote to borrow $88.5 million to help pay for five transit projects that include “road diets” in and around Portland. Once approved, Metro will have to repay the loan until 2039. To obtain the $88.5 million now, Metro will pay $140 million in principal...
-
QP: Metro Should Reject the Burnside Bridge "Road Diet"
The new “Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge” lane designs, backed with funding by the Metro Council, are intended to force Portlanders out of their cars. Metro will be meeting on July 31st to vote on and pass the Step 1A.1 Regional Flexible Funds Allocation bond, which includes the Burnside Bridge...
-
QP: TriMet’s Plan for 82nd Avenue “Road Diet”
TriMet has a new “road diet” planned for Portland, this time on 82nd Avenue. Working with Metro, TriMet is proposing a transit corridor entirely dedicated to buses. They plan to dedicate bus-only lanes, up and down both sides of the street, shrinking 82nd from a four-lane avenue down to a…
more -
QP: HB 2089 Brings Oregon into Compliance with the Supreme Court’s Tyler Ruling
With the passage of House Bill 2089 in late June, Oregon has ended the practice of “home equity theft,” by bringing state law into compliance with the Supreme Court’s unanimous 2023 Tyler ruling. Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Minnesota grandmother, Geraldine Tyler, who...
-
QP: Voters Aren't Interested in New Transportation Taxes
The Oregon legislature ended on June 27 without addressing the deterioration of Oregon’s road system. This turned out to be a stunning defeat for the Democratic majority on House Bill 2025-B, also known as the Transportation Reinvestment Package (TRIP). For more than a year, Democrats held…
more -
QP: New Hampshire Is First in New England to Enact Universal School Choice
New Hampshire has removed the income cap for families applying to its Education Freedom Account program, making it the first state in New England to offer school choice to all K-12 children. Governor Kelly Ayotte signed the program expansion into law on June 10. Previously, first-time applicants...
-
QP: Jefferson High School's Dual Enrollment Dilemma
Last week, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong announced her plan to end Jefferson High School’s “dual-enrollment policy”—which allows families in its boundaries to choose between Jefferson or nearby Grant, Roosevelt, or McDaniel high schools instead. Translation? No more...
-
QP: Educational Choice for Children Act Would Expand Private Scholarship Options
Groundbreaking, school choice legislation called the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) was included in the budget reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22. ECCA would establish a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for individual taxpayers who make...
-
QP: SB 1182 - The New Racism
The Oregon legislature is about to pass Senate Bill 1182, which would authorize the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to give away the half-billion dollar, four-acre, I-5 lid over the Rose Quarter—plus all property and development rights and contracts—to a single black-owned nonprofit…
more -
QP: Metro Should Scrap Visioning and Long-Range Planning
Metro will soon be revising its 1995 Regional Framework Plan, also known as the 2040 plan. The vision of 2040 advocates was for the Portland region to “build up,not out” by maintaining a tight urban growth boundary, mandating the construction of apartments rather than single family homes…
more -
QP: House Bills on Oregon Water Resources to Double Dip Taxpayers
House Bill 2808 and House Bill 2165 seek to address the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) budget shortfall of $875,000, but through different methods. Instead of choosing which bill offers the best path towards good governance, the legislature is saying, “both.” HB 2808 would increase the...
-
QP: Oregon Department of Forestry’s Bad Habit: Over Promise, Under Deliver
Over-promising and under-delivering has been the habit of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) for decades, with businesses and counties enduring financial hardships from ODF’s inconsistent timber sales. House Bill 3103 with the -1 amendment seeks to address these concerns by requiring ODF to…
more -
QP: School Choice is Bigger in Texas
It’s official: More than half of America’s K-12 students are now eligible to participate in a school choice program. Last Saturday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law, making the Lone Star State the latest to enact a universal Education Savings Account program. According to...
-
QP: Tri-Met's Death Spiral
Recently The Oregonian published a feature about TriMet’s ongoing death spiral. Since 2015, the agency’s annual revenue from passenger fares has dropped from $117 million to $59 million, while operating expenses have grown. As a result, TriMet’s operating loss last year was $850 million. TriMet…
more -
QP: North Dakota Legislature Passes ESA and Charter School Bills
On Monday, the North Dakota legislature passed the state’s first private school choice program. If signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong, House Bill 1540 would establishEducation Savings Accounts for North Dakota students beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Award amounts wouldbe determined by a...
-
QP: Race Based School Funding
On April 14, Governor Tina Kotek held a press conference to reaffirm her commitment to protecting students from discrimination based on race, national origin, or immigration status in Oregon schools. The point of the announcement was to focus on the implied future threat from President Trump, but...
-
QP: School Choice Options Now Reach More Than 40% of American Children
What if every child could attend the school where he or she would learn most successfully? Empowering parents to choose their children’s school is called educational—orschool—choice. School choice allows parents to better meet their children’s tailored educational needs and circumstances....
-
QP: Amending the Constitution Is Not a Children’s Game
A decade ago, 21 youth plaintiffs in Oregon filed a lawsuit asserting that the government had violated their due process rights of life, liberty, and property by encouraging and permitting the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels such as oil and gas. The plaintiffs were represented by Our Children’s...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Sit back and listen to Cascade Policy Institute explain the latest research on Oregon's important issues. Cascade advances public policy ideas that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility, and market-based economic opportunity. Visit us at www.cascadepolicy.org
HOSTED BY
Cascade Policy Institute
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Cascade CounterPoint have?
Cascade CounterPoint currently has 315 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Cascade CounterPoint about?
Sit back and listen to Cascade Policy Institute explain the latest research on Oregon's important issues. Cascade advances public policy ideas that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility, and market-based economic opportunity. Visit us at www.cascadepolicy.org
How often does Cascade CounterPoint release new episodes?
Cascade CounterPoint publishes regularly with 315 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Cascade CounterPoint?
You can listen to Cascade CounterPoint on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Cascade CounterPoint?
Cascade CounterPoint is created and hosted by Cascade Policy Institute.
URL copied to clipboard!