One of the most perplexing things about the current fight over Oregon land use laws is how many wealthy Oregonians publicly support restricting development rights.

Many of them are landowners. So it would seem they are advocating against their own interests and the basic concepts of the free market and private property that sustain their wealth. . . . Read more!

Summary

Property is more than land. Eroding Oregonians’ property rights jeopardizes all the other rights we cherish. . . . Read more!

In 1999 local Oregon donors pledged one million dollars to begin the Children’s Scholarship Fund-Portland. This program, unique in Oregon, enables children from low- income families to attend the K-12 schools their parents think are best for them. Local donations are matched by the national Children’s Scholarship Fund, which has helped over 86,000 children nationwide get a hand-up in life through education.

For nine school years CSF-Portland has proven that . . . Read more!

Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams and Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler have proposed a 3-cent-per-gallon tax increase and a monthly fee for homeowners and businesses in order to generate roughly $485 million over 10 years that would be used for local street maintenance, safety programs, and Willamette River bridge repairs. However, before this concept is approved, the two politicians have some explaining to do about current priorities.

According to a city auditor’s report published in December 2006, the total amount of money . . . Read more!

Summary

The more something is taxed, less of it is produced. The capital gains tax punishes the very thing that encourages growth in the economy. Consequently, less wealth is created to invest in worthy enterprises that benefit workers, business owners and investors alike. . . . Read more!

Last week the state of Oklahoma indicted national political activist Paul Jacob for the “crime” of conspiring to help people collect petition signatures while they may not have been legal residents of the state.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in similar cases that government cannot “reduce the available pool” of people who assist citizens in communicating with their . . . Read more!

Summary

Milton Friedman wrote:
“Nobody uses somebody else’s resources as carefully as he uses his own. So if you want efficiency and effectiveness,…you have to do it through…private property.” For nearly four decades, Oregon voters, legislators and courts have defined what powers property owners have with respect to private land. This November, Oregonians once again will vote on property rights by means of Measure 49. . . . Read more!

Last summer the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation released a study entitled “Disruptive Behavior: An Empirical Evaluation of School Misconduct and Market Accountability.” Researchers examined the cases of employee misconduct in both public and private schools in the 12 states that have school choice policies.

Some opponents of school choice argue that private schools are not as “accountable” as public schools because they are not subject to all the same regulations as public schools.

This is not true. . . . Read more!