Policy Recommendations

State-wide

Cost of Living

  • Remove duplicative state, county, city, and regional programs

    • Metro: get rid of this $2B duplicative layer of government in the Portland Metro region and have it’s duties taken on by cities/counties/state.

    • MultNoMo: consolidate Multnomah County and the City of Portland into a single, accountable, and effective government.

  • Government accountability. Make it easier for the public to see where tax dollars go and whether programs deliver what was promised.

    • Repeal Oregon’s affordable-housing financial records exemption law (ORS 192.355(24)), which allows costs of publicly subsidized housing projects to be kept from the public.

  • Government effectiveness. Support reforms that reduce waste, duplication, delays, and unnecessary bureaucracy.

  • Stop automatic utility rate increases: require investor-owned utilities like PGE, Pacific Power, and NW Natural to meet a tougher standard before regulators approve higher rates.

Education (Talent Flywheel)

  • Free public universities, trade schools and apprenticeships (students repay cost if they leave Oregon before 5 years).

  • Increase teacher pay significantly to attract and retain stronger K–12 talent.

  • Oregon becomes a magnet for ambitious talent nation-wide.

Jobs

  • Build a $1 billion Oregon Growth Fund. Expand Oregon's existing Growth Account, which currently has about $250 million in assets and makes roughly $30 million in new investment commitments each year, into a fund about four times its current size. Continue investing alongside private investors in companies that build and grow in Oregon, especially businesses creating large numbers of high-paying jobs. When public money helps create private wealth, taxpayers should share in the return.

Healthcare

  • Fight for national universal healthcare: pressure Oregon’s congressional delegation to repeatedly introduce and support federal universal healthcare legislation. A state-only universal healthcare system does not math out.

  • Defund Healthier Oregon, which provides health coverage to eligible Oregon residents regardless of immigration or citizenship status, which has a $1B budget. Fix healthcare for citizens first.

Data Centers

  • Stop giving data centers special tax treatment. Require them to pay the full cost of the power, water, and infrastructure they use.

Better Representatives

  • Pay elected officials a proper salary in order to expand the pool of candidates from the wealthy and retired (20% of voters) to include 100% of voters.

Clackamas County

Clackamas River Corridor

  • Turn the Clackamas River into the Portland region’s premier outdoor recreation destination.

Willamette Falls

  • Transform Oregon’s biggest waterfall into a world-class tourism destination.

Regional Aquatic and Sports Complex

  • Instead of each city struggling to replace aging pools alone, consider a shared facility that is a year-round sports tourism and community health hub.