The overhaul of the nation’s welfare system 13 years ago was supposed to help set poor families on a path
Raising Incomes
Realizing our human potential depends on having the resources to meet our material needs. Raising the incomes of the lowest-paid workers not only increases economic opportunity but also makes for a more prosperous state.
Raising Incomes
Realizing our human potential depends on having the resources to meet our material needs. Raising the incomes of the lowest-paid workers not only increases economic opportunity but also makes for a more prosperous state.
Latest Articles
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), commonly known as the federal recovery package, exempts from federal income taxes the
As the 2009 legislature enters its final weeks and considers revenue bills to balance the budget and make the state
Read a pdf of this fact sheet: SB 461 Helps Low-income Workers Gain Job Skills, Strengthens Oregon’s Workforce SB 461
With unemployment at 9 percent and rising, Oregon could use an economic boost. Congress is working on legislation, the American
The federal government today raised the poverty line, which Oregon uses to determine eligibility for some public assistance programs.
Oregon’s lowest-paid workers will get some help in making ends meet starting on New Year’s Day, when a 45-cent hike
With a congressional debate on the scope of a federal economic recovery package nearing, Oregon advocates urged lawmakers to aid
The morning after the election, I watched a video of Barack Obama telling how, on a rainy morning last June,
With time running out to file for an economic stimulus payment from the federal government, new data show that tens
Latest Podcasts
Income Inequality in Oregon: What Does the Latest Data Show?
Income inequality in Oregon remains vast, but history shows this is not inevitable.
December 11, 2025
How Trump Is Hiding Hunger and Why Poverty Persists
This episode examines what the end of the federal food security report means for Oregon, as well as why poverty is a policy failure, not an individual failure.
November 13, 2025
How big corporations hide their profits — and how to stop it
Listen to prior episodes of the show Follow Policy for the People on your favorite podcast app Transcript
October 9, 2025