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Cascade Policy Institute
Cascade Policy Institute is a non-profit and non-partisan American libertarian think tank based in Oregon that focuses on state and local issues. Founded in 1991, the institute advocates limited government in cost and size, and promotes privatization and other free market alternatives to government services. Cascade is a member of the State Policy Network, a network of conservative and libertarian think tanks in the United States and Canada. Background The institute was incorporated in January 1991, with the mission of "promoting public policies fostering individual liberty, personal responsibility, and economic opportunity." Steve Buckstein, a former investment broker influenced by the libertarian ideas of Milton Friedman, founded Cascade Policy Institute after leading a 1989 ballot initiative to introduce school choice to Oregon, which failed. Co-founders of the institute included David Gore and Bill Udy, who served as the organization's first board members, along with Buckstei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fiscal Year
A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many jurisdictions require company financial reports to be prepared and published on an annual basis but generally not the reporting period to align with the calendar year (1 January to 31 December). Taxation laws generally require accounting records to be maintained and taxes calculated on an annual basis, which usually corresponds to the fiscal year used for government purposes. The calculation of tax on an annual basis is especially relevant for direct taxes, such as income tax. Many annual government fees—such as council tax and license fees, are also levied on a fiscal year basis, but others are charged on an anniversary basis. Some companies, such as Cisco Systems, end their fiscal year on the same day of the week each year: the day ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oregon Environmental Council
The Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) is an environmental advocacy group based in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1968. History The Oregon Environmental Council was founded in 1968 by a group of "ordinary citizens", including PTA and garden club members, outdoor enthusiasts, conservationists and other individuals who "had an interest in protecting the environmental legacy of Oregon". Current work Current program work of the OEC includes public policy, addressing global warming, preventing toxic exposure, improving the quality of Oregon's rivers, sustainable economic issues, and food and farms. Andrea Durbin has been the group's executive director since 2006. Activities Activities of the Oregon Environmental Council include: * 1968 - Passed Mount Jefferson Wilderness Bill * 1971 - Led citizen support that passed the Oregon Bottle Bill, the first bottle bill in the nation * 1973 - Helped pass Oregon Senate Bills 100 and 101, Oregon's land use planning law * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transit-oriented Development
In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. It promotes a symbiotic relationship between dense, compact urban form and public transport use. In doing so, TOD aims to increase public transport ridership by reducing the use of private cars and by promoting sustainable urban growth. TOD typically includes a central transit stop (such as a train station, or light rail or bus stop) surrounded by a high-density mixed-use area, with lower-density areas spreading out from this center. TOD is also typically designed to be more walkable than other built-up areas, by using smaller block sizes and reducing the land area dedicated to automobiles. The densest areas of TOD are normally located within a radius of to mile (400 to 800 m) around the central transit stop, as this is considered to be an appropriate scale for pedestrians, thu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metro (Oregon Regional Government)
Metro is the regional government for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area, covering portions of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. It is the only directly elected regional government and metropolitan planning organization in the United States. Metro is responsible for overseeing the Portland region's solid waste system, general planning of land use and transportation, maintaining certain regional parks and natural areas, and operating the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Portland's Centers for the Arts, and the Portland Expo Center. It also distributes money from two voter-approved tax measures: one for homeless services and one for affordable housing. History and evolution Metro in its current form evolved from Columbia Region Association of Governments (CRAG) (1966–1978) and a predecessor Metropolitan Service District (MSD) (1957–1966). Measure 6, a 1978 statewide ballot measure established Metro, effective January 1, 1979. In 1992 v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent factor in the rise of conservative and libertarian organizations, political parties, and think tanks, and predominantly advocated by them, it is generally associated with policies of economic liberalization, including privatization, deregulation, globalization, free trade, monetarism, austerity, and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society. The defining features of neoliberalism in both thought and practice have been the subject of substantial scholarly debate. As an economic philosophy, neoliberalism emerged among European liberal scholars in the 1930s as they attempted to revive and renew central ideas from classical liberalism as they saw these ideas diminish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Health Maintenance Organization
In the United States, a health maintenance organization (HMO) is a medical insurance group that provides health services for a fixed annual fee. It is an organization that provides or arranges managed care for health insurance, self-funded health care benefit plans, individuals, and other entities, acting as a liaison with health care providers (hospitals, doctors, etc.) on a prepaid basis. The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 required employers with 25 or more employees to offer federally certified HMO options if the employer offers traditional healthcare options. Unlike traditional indemnity insurance, an HMO covers care rendered by those doctors and other professionals who have agreed by contract to treat patients in accordance with the HMO's guidelines and restrictions in exchange for a steady stream of customers. HMOs cover emergency care regardless of the health care provider's contracted status. Operation HMOs often require members to select a primary care phy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Weekly Standard
''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "redoubt of neoconservatism" and as "the neocon bible." Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title on September 18, 1995. In 2009, News Corporation sold the magazine to a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation. On December 14, 2018, its owners announced that the magazine was ceasing publication, with the last issue published on December 17. Sources attribute its demise to an increasing divergence between Kristol and other editors' shift towards anti-Trump positions, and the magazine's audience's shift towards Trumpism. Many of the magazine's articles were written by members of conservative think tanks located in Washington, including the American Enterprise Institute, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, the Foundation for Def ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medical Savings Account (United States)
In the United States, a medical savings account (MSA) refers to a medical savings account program, generally associated with self-employed individuals, in which tax-deferred deposits can be made for medical expenses. Withdrawals from the MSA are tax-free if used to pay for qualified medical expenses. The MSA must be coupled with a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). Withdrawals from MSA go toward paying the deductible expenses in a given year. MSA account funds can cover expenses related to most forms of health care, disability, dental care, vision care, and long-term care, whether the expenses were billed through the qualifying insurance or otherwise. Once the plan deductible is met in a given year, the HDHP will pay any remaining covered medical expenses in that year. If there are funds remaining in the MSA at the end of the year, the funds can either roll over for the following year or can be withdrawn as taxable income. MSAs are similar to health savings accounts (HSAs), whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charter Schools In The United States
Charter schools in the United States are primary or secondary education institutions that are funded through taxation and operated by private organizations, rather than local school districts. They do not charge tuition, as they are funded with public tax dollars. Charter schools are subject to fewer rules than traditional state schools. Proponents argue that they are meant to serve underserved communities that wish to have alternatives to their neighborhood school. There are both non-profit and for-profit charter schools, and only non-profit charters can receive donations from private sources. However, there are several ways that non-profit charters can profit. As of 2016–2017 there were an estimated 6,900 public charter schools in 42 states and the District of Columbia (2016–17) with approximately 3.1 million students, a sixfold increase in enrollment over the past 15 years. In 2015 alone, more than 400 new charter schools opened while 270 schools closed due to low enrol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charter School
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autonomy for accountability, that it is freed from the rules but accountable for results. Public vs. private school Charter schools are publicly funded through taxation and operated by privately owned management companies. Charter schools are often established, operated, and maintained by for-profit organizations, and are not necessarily held to the same standards as traditional public schools. There is debate on whether charter schools should be described as private schools or state schools. Advocates of the charter model state that they are public schools because they are open to all students and do not charge tuition. Critics of charter schools assert that charter schools' private operation with lack of public accountability makes them ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian Science Monitor
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χριστός), a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term ''mashiach'' (מָשִׁיחַ) (usually rendered as ''messiah'' in English). While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance. The term ''Christian'' used as an adjective is descriptive of anything associated with Christianity or Christian churches, or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like." It does not have a meaning of 'of Christ' or 'related or pertaining to Christ'. According to a 2011 Pew Research Center survey, there were 2.2 billion Christians around the world in 2010, up from about 600 million in 1910. Today, about 37% of all Christians live in the Amer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portland Tribune
The ''Portland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Pamplin Media Group, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area. Launched in 2001, the paper was published twice weekly until 2008, when it was reduced to weekly. It returned to twice-weekly publication in 2014 and was again reduced to weekly publication in 2020. It was distributed free from its 2001 launch until October 2022, then becoming available only by paid subscription or purchase at retail outlets. History 2000–2007 Portland businessman Robert B. Pamplin Jr. announced his intention to found the paper in the summer of 2000. The first issue of the twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) paper was published February 9, 2001, joining ''The Oregonian'', the city's only daily general-interest newspaper, and the alternative weeklies ''Willamette Week'' and ''The Portland Mercury''. At the time, it was a rare exa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
