Do student loans cause income inequality? The distribution—and redistribution of income—is back in the news. The Economist reported on study of the persistence of income distribution from generation to generation, which generated some discussion. Then, Gary Becker and Richard Posner jumped into the debate with some often overlooked observations. Judge …
You may not have ever heard of Bill McDonald, but you have probably heard his jokes. A profile of McDonald explains that, from his Southeast Portland home, McDonald writes jokes for “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno and for about 140 radio stations around the world that feed McDonald’s quips to their …
Funny thing about NPR’s Weekend All Things Considered—nobody’s listening, so they spend a LONG time on stories. This weekend, it was a gripping 11.5 minute story of the growing LIBOR scandal. It’s important because there is a very good chance your adjustable rate mortgage is tied to LIBOR is someway. …
In an earlier post, we asked why Portland’s toniest high school was jumping to the head of the line to get rebuilt out of urban renewal dollars. Now it seems that in less than two weeks, about one-third of that money has been taken away from the Portland Public Schools …
Some interesting economics issues in this story from The Lund Report. What if you offered an insurance benefit that raises premiums, but no one uses the insured benefit? Last June the Portland City Council unanimously approved the new benefit joining Multnomah County and San Francisco April 2, 2012 – None …
The Oregonian seems to have picked up on our earlier posts about misplaced priorities and self-inflicted budget woes at the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The story so far can be told in four pictures. Record revenues at the Portland Bureau of Transportation. “Discretionary” money has almost doubled since 2000. The city’s …
In Oregon, employers can have an agreement with unions that make union membership—and the payment of union dues—an employment requirement. Refusal to stay in the union or to pay dues can result in termination. Right-to-work laws provide job seekers the right to work for an employer whether or …
“Transformation” is the word of the year in the Oregon Legislature. Not only is the Legislature looking for ways to transform Oregon’s healthcare delivery system and jump head first into Obamacare, the legislature is sprinting toward the finish line to transform Oregon’s education system from pre-school to post-grad. The Oregonian …
This quote from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke might be right up there with, “This ship is unsinkable.” On the other hand, in Oregon, the state economist laid out some optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. Here’s the pessimistic scenario (which, to be fair to Bernanke, the Oregon state economist did not think …
Eight states will begin the New Year with a higher minimum wage under state laws that mandate minimum wages increase with inflation. Washington State will become the first state in the nation to set its minimum wage above $9 an hour. Oregon’s minimum wage will follow closely behind with an increase …
If you have ever visited Portland, it’s fairly certain that someone will proclaim that the city has more strip clubs per capita than any other city. Indeed, Portland’s reputation is international. Earlier this year, the UK’s Guardian newspaper dropped the factoid in its review of Voodoo Donut. More recently (in …