The revenue forecast released today shows that General Fund revenues in the upcoming biennium will be $1.1 billion lower than what was expected in January, when the Governor proposed his budget and the Legislature convened.
Economic Forecast: “Oregon Stuck in Doonesbury Unless Legislature Raises Revenues” Read More »
Public policy decisions often come down to a matter of priorities. Which spending proposals are more important to fund?
Misplaced Priorities Read More »
News Release Oregon’s minimum wage increases have not caused job losses in the state, according to a new report released today by the Oregon Center for Public Policy. The report was written in response to claims by the Oregon Restaurant Association (ORA) and other backers of House Bill 2624, which would overturn the results of
New Report Confirms that Minimum Wage Increases Have Not Caused Job Loss in Oregon Read More »
Executive Summary The Oregon Restaurant Association (ORA), the Oregon Farm Bureau, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses have proposed legislation, House Bill 2624, that would eliminate annual inflation adjustments to Oregon’s minimum wage approved by the voters last fall. The ORA, in particular, continues to argue that Oregon’s 1996 voter-mandated minimum wage increases caused
Slow economic growth continues to wreak havoc on Oregon’s state budget. Absent new tax revenues, the Legislature will have to make further cuts to many state programs and services in the next budget cycle.
Making Sense of Spending and Taxes in Oregon Read More »
As Oregonians finish sending in their state income taxes, a new report released today by the Oregon Center for Public Policy finds that Oregon’s level of government spending per person is close to the national average and has remained constant, relative to income, in recent years.
What do grandparents raising children, foster parents, and single fathers have in common? They are the newest targets in the Bush administration’s war on the working poor.
Population increases and inflation raise the cost to the state of conducting the business of government from year to year. Population growth leads to increased demands for services, from more children in schools and more seniors in failing health to increased demands for police, agricultural extension services, and small business development assistance.
Population Increases and Inflation Are No Fool’s Joke Read More »
This tax season, a minimum wage worker who was employed full-time last year and raising one child will pay about $321 in state income taxes. That’s equivalent to the cost of about a month’s worth of food based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
A Tax System that Matches Oregon Values Read More »
Pre-occupied with local budget woes, the anemic economic recovery, and the looming war, many Oregonians aren’t paying much attention to the President’s $1.6 trillion tax cut proposal, which includes exempting dividends from taxation and accelerating rate cuts passed in 2001. This is a mistake, because the proposal has profound implications for Oregon and the rest of the country.
The Capital Gains Bird Does Not Fly Read More »