Rainmaker Rankings August 16-22, 2026
Genentech led this week’s rankings with a +2 for announcing a $750 million expansion of its Hillsboro manufacturing operation, expected to create 250 permanent jobs. Other positive scores went to the Ballmer Group for investing $125 million in youth mental health, the U.S. Forest Service for $15 million in Oregon wood-industry projects, Rep. Court Boice for calling for accountability from the Curry County sheriff, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission for investigating Home Forward travel spending, and Prosper Portland for launching grants to help businesses fill vacant storefronts.
At the bottom, the U.S. Federal Tax Code received -3 for a system that allows billionaires to direct enormous amounts of otherwise taxable wealth toward priorities of their choosing. Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan received -2 after driving drunk in a sheriff’s vehicle and lying during the traffic stop, while the City of Portland, Portland Solutions, and Urban Alchemy received -2 scores over accountability failures surrounding Portland’s homeless shelter system. Multnomah County also received -1 for closing hundreds of shelter beds after expanding services with temporary funding.
Weekly Scoring Table
| Rank | Leader / Organization | This Week | Overall | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genentech | +2 | +2 | 1 |
| 2 | Ballmer Group | +1 | +1 | 1 |
| 2 | Court Boice | +1 | +1 | 1 |
| 2 | Oregon Government Ethics Commission | +1 | +1 | 1 |
| 2 | Prosper Portland | +1 | +1 | 1 |
| 2 | U.S. Forest Service | +1 | +1 | 1 |
| 7 | Tina Kotek | 0 | +4 | 1 |
| 7 | Business Oregon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | U.S. Department of Agriculture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Trump Administration | 0 | -9 | 1 |
| 11 | Oregon Division of Financial Regulation | -1 | -1 | 1 |
| 11 | Multnomah County | -1 | -2 | 1 |
| 13 | Portland Solutions | -2 | -2 | 1 |
| 13 | Terry Rowan | -2 | -2 | 1 |
| 13 | Urban Alchemy | -2 | -2 | 1 |
| 13 | City of Portland | -2 | -4 | 1 |
| 17 | U.S. Federal Tax Code | -3 | -3 | 1 |
Articles Scored This Week
Records Show City Staff, PR Firm Coordinating to Polish Urban Alchemy’s Image
Date: August 17, 2026
Leader / Organization: City of Portland; Portland Solutions; Urban Alchemy
Score: -2
Score Headline: City helped protect contractor’s image despite mounting complaints. Contractor failed to track shelter grievances.
Score Explanation: Portland Solutions helped protect Urban Alchemy’s public image while the city’s largest homeless-services contractor faced more than 150 grievances and growing questions about accountability. Records show city staff coordinated responses to reporters, connected Urban Alchemy’s PR firm with mayoral staff, and worked on positive media content. That is especially concerning because Portland had become heavily dependent on Urban Alchemy to operate much of its alternative-shelter system.
Urban Alchemy, meanwhile, acknowledged that it failed to properly track shelter grievances and lost some complaints as they came through. While many of the underlying allegations remain disputed, the admitted breakdown in the grievance process — combined with the contractor’s close coordination with city officials on public messaging — represents a significant accountability failure.
Ballmers give $125M to expand UO's youth mental health training program
Date: August 18, 2026
Leader / Organization: Ballmer Group
Score: +1
Score Headline: $125M for youth mental health
Leader / Organization: U.S. Federal Tax Code
Score: -3
Score Headline: Public priorities belong to voters, not billionaires
Score Explanation: Steve and Connie Ballmer’s philanthropic group committed another $125 million to expand the University of Oregon’s bachelor’s-level behavioral health model, building on the $425 million gift that created the Ballmer Institute. The funding could help address a real shortage of youth mental health workers and expand a promising new approach nationally.
But the gift also highlights a larger problem with billionaire philanthropy: individuals with enormous fortunes can effectively decide which social problems deserve hundreds of millions of dollars and which solutions get built. The Ballmers may be using that power responsibly, but we should not have to depend on getting 'benevolent' kings. Public priorities should ultimately be shaped through democratic institutions, taxation and accountable public spending, not the preferences of whichever ultra-wealthy donor happens to write the check.
Trump administration advances plan to rescind protections for nearly 45 million wild acres
Date: August 18, 2026
Leader / Organization: Trump Administration; U.S. Department of Agriculture
Score: 0
Score Headline: Moved to eliminate 25-year-old protections for roadless national forests
Score Explanation: The Trump administration moved to repeal the 25-year-old Roadless Rule, which limits new roads and commercial logging on about 45 million acres of National Forest land, including roughly 2 million acres in Oregon. The change would not itself authorize logging or development, but it would remove a longstanding layer of protection and give forest managers more flexibility to approve future road and timber projects. Not sure if this make Oregon easier or harder to live, work, and raise a family in.
Ethics Commission Votes to Investigate Former Home Forward CEO Over Travel Spending
Date: August 19, 2026
Leader / Organization: Oregon Government Ethics Commission
Score: +1
Score Headline: Opened investigation into Home Forward travel spending
Score Explanation: The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted unanimously to investigate former Home Forward CEO Ivory Mathews after a preliminary review found substantial grounds to believe she may have violated state ethics and conflict-of-interest laws through agency-funded travel. Opening a formal investigation is a concrete accountability step involving more than $100,000 in public travel spending.
Oregon lands $15M in federal wood-industry grants
Date: August 19, 2026
Leader / Organization: U.S. Forest Service
Score: +1
Score Headline: Awarded $15 million to strengthen Oregon’s wood industry
Score Explanation: The U.S. Forest Service awarded more than $15 million to 20 Oregon projects that will reopen or modernize mills, expand wood-product manufacturing, and create markets for small-diameter and low-value timber. The investments support rural jobs and Oregon’s wood-products industry while helping make forest-restoration work more economically useful.
Link to google map of award winners: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1CIlzC9Hk9EjDRdAaWOQoTL-l5rS9qsg&ll=44.815565571957855%2C-121.66508585169574&z=7
Oregon lawmaker tells Curry County sheriff to resign
Date: August 19, 2026
Leader / Organization: Court Boice
Score: +1
Score Headline: Called on Curry County sheriff to resign over misconduct findings
Score Explanation: Rep. Court Boice publicly called on Sheriff John Ward to resign, citing documented misconduct and Ward’s failure to comply with county oversight efforts. In a small county where the sheriff remains politically popular, Boice is taking a visible political risk by pressing for accountability. He also urged an audit of Ward’s past management of county road funds and said he would support a recall if Ward refuses to step down.
Genentech plans $750 million expansion in Hillsboro
Date: August 20, 2026
Leader / Organization: Genentech
Score: +2
Score Headline: Invested $750 million to expand Hillsboro manufacturing
Leader / Organization: Tina Kotek; Business Oregon
Score: 0
Score Headline: Helped secure major biotech expansion in Oregon?
Score Explanation: Genentech’s planned $750 million Hillsboro expansion is a major investment in Oregon manufacturing, expected to create 250 permanent jobs and support about 200 construction jobs. But the project also includes a forgivable state loan approved by Gov. Tina Kotek. Its amount and conditions have not been disclosed, nor has the state shown that Genentech would have expanded elsewhere without the subsidy. Genentech earns credit for the investment; Kotek and Business Oregon remain unscored until taxpayers learn what was promised and what Oregon receives in return.
Oregon weighs enrollment caps, paying for claims as double-digit insurance hikes set for 2027
Date: August 20, 2026
Leader / Organization: Oregon Division of Financial Regulation
Score: -1
Score Headline: Approved double-digit health insurance increases for 2027
Score Explanation: Oregon regulators approved average premium increases of nearly 22% for individual health plans and 15.5% for small-business plans, raising costs for families and employers already struggling with health care affordability. Regulators say the increases reflect higher medical costs, expiring federal subsidies and market pressures, and they are adding $15 million to the state reinsurance program to offset some costs.
Prosper Portland's Vacant Storefront Grant aimed at businesses looking for space
Date: August 21, 2026
Leader / Organization: Prosper Portland
Score: +1
Score Headline: Launched citywide grants to help fill vacant storefronts
Score Explanation: Prosper Portland launched an $800,000 grant program to help small businesses move into vacant retail spaces across Portland. The program can reimburse up to 75% of eligible improvement costs, with grants of up to $100,000 depending on the type of business. It drew 15 applications in its first three days, giving small businesses another tool to overcome the high upfront cost of opening in an empty storefront.
Umatilla sheriff’s future in jeopardy as Oregon state panel recommends revoking law enforcement powers
Date: August 21, 2026
Leader / Organization: Terry Rowan
Score: -2
Score Headline: Drove drunk in sheriff’s vehicle and lied during traffic stop
Score Explanation: Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan drove a sheriff’s office vehicle while intoxicated and speeding on Interstate 84, then repeatedly denied drinking during the traffic stop. A state police-standards committee found he was dishonest and engaged in misconduct and recommended suspending his law-enforcement certification for at least three years.
Portland area leaders are dismantling a third of the homeless shelter system they just built
Date: August 22, 2026
Leader / Organization: Multnomah County
Score: -1
Score Headline: Closing hundreds of shelter beds after funding expansion with temporary money
Score Explanation: Multnomah County is cutting hundreds of homeless shelter beds as part of more than 1,000 Portland-area beds being decommissioned by year-end. County officials had expanded ongoing shelter services partly with accumulated surplus and other temporary funding even though they knew that money would eventually run out.
