Approval of the parks levy buys the city time to fix parks' funding/spending problems. But a 75% tax hike on Portlanders struggling in an affordability crisis is not something to celebrate. City leaders are on the clock to make progress. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The beating-death of a 26-year-old in the Clackamas Co. Jail raises red flags about the jail's ability to ensure safety as well as Sheriff Angela Brandenburg's leadership. Fellow electeds should call out her lack of accountability and transparency. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portlanders are being asked to approve a 75% hike in the parks levy, but only $2m/year will go to its biggest problem - ensuring pools, paths & other assets don't deteriorate to point of closure. Vote no and ask the city to revise the levy for May. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The truth of what's happening in Portland doesn't matter to the Trump administration. But it should to all those who recognize the danger of the federal government's willingness to unleash "full force" on cities with different politics. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

As a federal judge's order confirms, Trump's bid to deploy the National Guard in Portland is neither warranted nor justified. Portlanders should continue to show the nation how wrong he is about what's happening here. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Trump's authorizing of fed troops to Portland is unnecessary and unjustified. But Portlanders must keep a cool head in how we respond. Don't let Portland to be turned into a prop for Trump’s authoritarian theatrics. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portland City Council needs to stop grandstanding over minutiae and focus on tackling the crises facing Portland. With a shortfall projected after an already brutal budget, the need for leadership and pragmatic action is urgent. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Extremism thrives in the absence of humanity. Oregonians need to pull back from the toxic exchange of accusations and celebration that's sprouted in the days following Charlie Kirk's murder and uphold open, thoughtful public debate. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

That critical transportation funding package for Oregon? Still in limbo, as state senators are forced to delay a vote. These are the risks when elected officials leave themselves no room for error – and there's been plenty. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Are Trump's threats to dispatch National Guard troops to Portland serious or bluster? While state and local leaders should be prepared for the former, Portlanders should keep the momentum of restoring the city going forward. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

It's not surprising that the "accountability" portion of Gov. Kotek's transportation plan fails to provide actual accountability. If legislators are going to ram through billions in new taxes, they should make clearer commitments. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portland's mandatory rental registry shows the city gained only 269 rentals from 2021 to 2023, despite construction of 1000s of new apartments. Is the registry wrong? Is the city losing existing rentals? Lack of compliance? Don't ask the city. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Phil and Penny Knight's $2 billion donation to OHSU's cancer institute is both a vote of confidence in Oregon as well as a challenge to be unapologetically ambitious. Even facing bleak news, Oregon can make its own future. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Conventional wisdom says the Portland Trail Blazers' next owner will keep the team in Portland, but Oregonians shouldn't count on that. Elected leaders must show there's no better partner for a team on the rise than a city staging a comeback. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Legislators and Gov. Tina Kotek must prepare for a targeted special session to pass a modest transportation package negotiated by Rs as well as Ds. Kotek should help set the tone for compromise by rescinding her expensive PLA executive order. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portland city councilors did the right thing by rescinding an earlier decision that held back Portland Children's Levy grants. But the importance of admitting a mistake shouldn't be the only takeaway from this debacle. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Dozens of small nonprofits that provide hunger relief, mentoring, after-school care and other programs for Portland's most underserved kids won't get funding as expected due to a reckless power play by 7 Portland city councilors. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The aid-and-assist crisis is 20+yrs old, yet Oregon still lacks the problem-solving creativity needed to help those with mental illness charged with crimes. Simply limiting how long someone can receive treatment won't help defendants or public safety. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Despite schools, cities and counties laying out SB 916's many flaws, nearly every House Democrat voted for it. Even if lawmakers ignore how giving unemployment pay to strikers will hurt public services, Oregonians should know the consequences. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portland's revitalization - necessary to generate money for parks, housing and other needs - depends on re-establishing the stability that encourages people to bet on Portland. The city shld add $1.9m to police budget to keep momentum going. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Legislators talk about the need for accountability in how K-12 schools spend their dollars. That accountability should apply to them as well. Lawmakers should reject SB 916 and not force districts to spend scarce funds on non-educational needs. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The best that can be said for the paltry fine Oregon ethics commissioners gave Shemia Fagan is that it was higher than what commission staff recommended. No wonder the public keeps losing faith in government. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The proposal unveiled by Mayor Keith Wilson and Gov. Tina Kotek to waive SDC fees for housing construction for three years is a good move in this 10-year-old crisis. More of this please. Editorial peak: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

There are many reasons to question Portland Public Schools and its board of directors about the $1.83 billion bond on the May ballot. The public should keep them on the hot seat to give more specifics and vote "yes" once they comply. Editorial endorsement: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The May ballot includes four seats on the Portland Public Schools board. Christy Splitt, Herman Greene, Virginia La Forte and Stephanie Engelsman are the best choices for their independence, student-centered agendas and accountability focus. Editorial endorsement: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Opinion: Should OHSU’s primate research center be closed? Advocates for closure and OHSU researchers offer their views

It's taken awhile, but the Washington Co commissioners who govern the county's sewer agency may finally be working up the nerve to do something about officials' extravagant spending. Their proposal still falls short. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Oregon needs tens of thousands of new housing units a year - a need that the government cannot come remotely close to filling. So why do elected leaders continue to look at solutions that chase private developers away? Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Gov. Kotek's K-12 accountability bills need more than a rough framework. But focusing schools' attention on meeting targets and increasing the state's authority to intervene provide the first rung of the ladder for K-12 to climb out of its hole. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Editorial cartoons for March 16, 2025: Stock selloff, seesaw tariffs, Tesla backlash

At the behest of union donors, Oregon Democrats are pushing a bill that would allow workers who go on strike to collect unemployment benefits - a move that could hit public employers particularly hard. State senators should vote no on SB 916. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portland's draft budget recommendations show a nearly $100M gap, yet the city is sitting on over half a billion dollars in contingency. That's half a billion dollars in the bank producing interest, not results. Read the full draft here: bit.ly/3EVxmxk

Chair Jessica Vega Pederson frustrated partners and the public with her surprise news of Multco homeless services’ $104M deficit. Another surprise? The deficit is more like $70m. Her go-it-alone approach continues to burn relationships and trust. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

The Oregon Health Authority knows how poorly used its Measure 110 hotline has been for years. Yet it made the baffling decision to extend its multimillion contract for the hotline even after M110's rollback. Is OHA director paying attention? Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Who wants to read a 6-part, 300+ page report about K-12 education funding in Oregon that's heavy on the regression analyses and standard deviation calculations ? Not you? It's ok. I read it so you don't have to:

Two top Dept of Corrections administrators were fired after a report detailed serious failures in the prison medical care system. How DOC proceeds will show whether the state is committed to reform - or if it's just waiting out the crisis, per usual. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Despite opposition, city staffers were right to handle the routine question of whether Zenith Energy's operations are compatible with city regs. Success of the new form of govt relies on administration and city council respecting each other's roles. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Portland Public Schools is asking voters to pass a $1.8 billion bond measure for three high schools in urgent need of renovation. To win support, PPS should trim design plans and show it can provide both excellent schools and fiscal discipline. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Metro rightly delayed a measure to renew the homeless services tax, considering voters' anger over the lack of progress. But Metro and the three counties shouldn't assume a renewal will ever pass if they don't set clear goals and show results. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

A projected $100 million shortfall and a gloomy report from a downtown task force show the steep challenges ahead for Portland's new leaders. Building an accountable gov't and focusing on the fundamentals must top the priority list. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Gov. Kotek's executive order mandating "project labor agreements" is a gift to her labor union backers at the public's expense. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

In 2025, Oregonians need goals to be set and met. They need to see objective and definitive evidence that our crises aren’t our new status quo. Elected leaders at all levels must show that government can solve big problems. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Multnomah County officials' hiring of a sitting county commissioner to lead the Youth & Family Services division reinforces a sense of sloppy governance. The conflict of interest concerns are obvious - except, apparently, to Multco officials. Editorial: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2024...