The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case that will help define property rights nationwide. The City of New London, Connecticut is using the power of eminent domain to condemn private homes and small businesses to allow a commercial development. The city argues that greater tax revenue from the development is a public purpose worthy of taking the homes of people who, in some cases, have lived their all their lives.

Eminent domain is supposed to be . . . Read more!

Oregon’s Education Service Districts administer state and federal programs and provide services such as purchasing, testing and administrative work for local school districts. In theory, they help smaller districts obtain these services more cost-effectively by preventing duplication of effort. Some legislators and the governor have recently suggested that the state could save money by consolidating the 20 ESDs down to eight, on the theory that bigger organizations have lower administrative costs per student.

However, economists understand that . . . Read more!

A new national report card funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts finds that Oregon state government doesn’t manage its money very well. Only Oregon and California earned D’s. Oregon may well deserve its D, but not for the reasons this report gives.

The authors of Grading the States 2005 apparently value . . . Read more!