Coos
Who’s Driving Oregon’s Wage Growth?
Wages in Oregon have been on the rise over the past three years. From fourth quarter 2014 to fourth quarter 2017, the quarterly average wage (smoothed and adjusted for inflation) rose by around 6.7 percent (+$800 per quarter). This is seemingly good news, right? This means that during that three-year…
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Entering the Danger Zone
As we wait for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to take the podium in Jackson Hole and impart some wisdom on the economy and hopefully provide policy guidance as well, it is worth considering that we may be soon be entering a dangerous period for monetary policy – the time…
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In Cap-and-Trade Considerations, Oregon Policy-Makers Should Include Reductions for Federal Forest Fire Smoke Carbon Emissions
Sara Duncan 503-586-1246 Oregon Forest & Industries Council On Wednesday, August 22, hundreds of policymakers will gather in Lincoln City for the annual Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit to discuss carbon cap-and-trade mechanisms and ways to reduce Oregon’s carbon footprint. “Solutions to decrease unchecked wildfires and increase the production of…
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Iot: The Irrelevance of Thingies
People and social interaction, not technology, is the key to the future of cities Smart city afficianado’s are agog at the prospects that the Internet of Things will create vast new markets for technology that will disrupt and displace cities. Color us skeptical; our experience with technology so far–and its…
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TARIFF AND TURKEY TALK
by Jason Norris, CFA Executive Vice President of Research A currency crisis in Turkey and continued trade uncertainty resulted in a volatile week for equities. International stocks, specifically emerging markets, started selling off. U.S. commodities were also weak. This was offset by positive news on the China trade front. Overall,…
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“I’VE ALWAYS CALLED THEM FILBERTS”
B y : Greg Henderson Little did I know how important the hazelnut indus-try would become to Oregon when I watched my uncle Ray ducking under tree limbs when dragging a harrow through his filbert orchard over fifty years ago. It has become more than just important. (I’m going to…
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Turkey: Hazelnut prices fall early in season
Hazelnuts prices in Turkey are headed lower at the start of the hazelnut season this year from last year. A kilo of hazelnuts (in shell) was worth nearly 22 Turkish lira ($10) last year per kilo as a devastating frost in March reduced the size of the harvest, according to…
Read MoreRegion Exceeds Two-Year Benchmark for Energy Efficiency
By: JENNIFER LIGHT In 2016 and 2017, the Northwest region achieved 404 average megawatts of electric energy efficiency savings, enough power to equal the average annual energy use of 290,000 homes, according to a report by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. This achievement exceeds the first two-year efficiency target…
Read MoreNorway, Oregon’s Bottle Bill and Plastic Recycling
CFM State Affairs Team China’s refusal to keep buying US-sourced recyclable materials and the mounting threat of plastic pollution in the ocean have redirected attention to schemes such as beverage container redemption, in which Oregon has been a leader. The HuffPost headline was breathless: “Norway has radical approach to plastic pollution and…
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“I Don’t Give a (Bleep) About Akron!”
by Charles Marohn Last year I moderated a panel of suburban mall developers as part of an economic forum at New York University. It was a spirited conversation among some heavy hitters, including a few well-capitalized investors whose opinions directly shape communities around the country. Needless to say, this was…
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Association of O&C Counties Express Support for Changes to Endangered Species Act
July 19, 2018 Press Release The Association of O&C Counties (AOCC) expressed support for several regulatory changes proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by those agencies. The agencies released information about the proposed…
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A Letter to POTUS on Infrastructure
December 11, 2017 by Charles Marohn During the presidential transition that took place at the beginning of this year, I was asked to provide my thoughts on how a Trump administration should prioritize what was anticipated to be up to a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending. It was an honor — and…
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