Taylor Griggs

It’s a marginal income tax, to be clear!

That, too!

It’s also worth noting that the total amount paid in 2024 was higher than the two previous years, but lower than 2021. This could be because some of the highest earners (those earning $1 million+) left. It could also be because they filed their taxes late, as the county economist suggests.

In 2024, county data shows, the number of filers earning $500k+ annually went back up to 2021 levels. (A little higher, actually.) This doesn’t necessarily warrant broad speculation of its own, but it’s worth pointing out, considering stories about tax flight have threatened to kill the program.

New Preschool for All Data Challenges Idea That Wealthy People Are Fleeing County In the years since 2021, when Multnomah County began collecting its Preschool for All tax, much has been made about the effect the program may be having on county income demographics. County data from...

The county has limited data about who’s paying its Preschool for All tax, which only went into effect in 2021. Still, some seized on a 14% dip in high-income filers between 2021 and ‘22 to suggest the tax drove wealthy ppl away. New data complicates that narrative.

Oregon’s Restaurants and Hotels: House Bill 4134 Derails Governor’s Pathway to Prosperity The passage of House Bill 4134 jeopardizes more than 200,000 tourism jobs through a $38 million tax hike, ignoring the Governor’s economic goals. SALEM, Ore. — Today, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4134, $38 million tax increase on the already struggling hospitality sector adding yet more financial burdens to businesses and Oregonians struggling with an affordability crisis. “Passage of House Bill 4134 dismantles one of Oregon’s last remaining revenue streams dedicated for economic development, completely ignoring Governor Tina Kotek’s efforts to boost prosperity throughout the state,” said Jason Brandt, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “State lawmakers have threatened one of the best economic development tools the state has seen – a $40 million investment at the state level and hundreds of millions at local levels resulting in a $14 billion return and 200,000 tourism jobs. But all of that’s now at risk if House Bill 4134 is signed into law. The only way to stop this terrible legislation would be a Governor veto.”

The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association is asking the governor to veto.

Btw, this means the bill has now been approved by both the House and Senate and goes to the governor’s desk.

Oregon’s Wildlife is at Risk. Increasing the State’s Lodging Tax Could Help Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill to boost funding for wildlife conservation efforts and help protect the state’s most imperiled species. House Bill 4134, also known as the 1.25 Percent for Wildli...

Background:

www.portlandmercury.com/news/2026/02...

Oregon Senate Passes Bipartisan Measure Investing in the State’s Natural Environment and Wildlife House Bill 4134 relies on taxes paid by visitors in hotels, motels, and other vacation stays SALEM, OR – The same gorgeous landscapes that draw tourists to our state will get new investments funded by those visitors under legislation passed today in the Oregon Senate. A tax on hotels, motels, and vacation stays will help pay for wildfire resilience, invasive-species eradication, wildlife conservation, and prevention of poaching. The broadly supported, bipartisan measure helps reverse decades of underfunding for protection of fish and wildlife.

INBOX: The Oregon Senate passed the 1.25 Percent for Wildlife bill, which will raise the state’s lodging tax by 1.25 percent to fund wildlife conservation programs, mostly through the Dept of Fish and Wildlife. This has been a long time in the making.

There’s seriously way too much going on right now. I can’t believe Metro Council chose this time to start making headlines. Local journalists can’t go on like this

Initiative to Divert Clean Energy Funds to Cops Moves Ahead Under Constrained Timeline Last week, a Multnomah County judge ruled largely in favor of the Portlanders backing an initiative petition seeking to divert a portion of the city’s clean energy fund to police. But the future of th...

A judge recently ruled largely in favor of the Portlanders backing an initiative petition seeking to divert a portion of the city’s clean energy fund to police.

Initiative to Divert Clean Energy Funds to Cops Moves Ahead Under Constrained Timeline Last week, a Multnomah County judge ruled largely in favor of the Portlanders backing an initiative petition seeking to divert a portion of the city’s clean energy fund to police. But the future of th...

A judge ruled last week on the constitutionality of an initiative petition aiming to divert PCEF funds to cops. But the future of this potential ballot measure—and Portland’s clean energy fund more broadly—remains unclear.

Damn!!! I wish I hadn’t listened to this until more episodes were out! Thx for the rec

“Nowhere I’d rather be”…this is honestly a tragic thing to admit

Exactly….

A 1.25% increase would mean paying $3.75 more in taxes for a $300 hotel room.

Response to the bill has been overwhelmingly positive, except from some tourism/business groups, who insist the small lodging tax increase will be detrimental to the economy and stifle tourism. Supporters point out the health of Oregon’s wildlife is key to our state’s tourist economy.

Mayor's Roundtable Aims to Reinvigorate Central City, With or Without Key Stakeholders A close look at the group’s membership shows who gets to decide the future of downtown.

Mayor Keith Wilson announced a new group will meet to discuss revitalizing the central city, including downtown and the east side from OMSI to Lloyd Center and Albina District. Critics say the group favors wealthy interests, excluding smaller orgs focused on homelessness & affordable communities.

Oregon’s Wildlife is at Risk. Increasing the State’s Lodging Tax Could Help Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill to boost funding for wildlife conservation efforts and help protect the state’s most imperiled species. House Bill 4134, also known as the 1.25 Percent for Wildli...

A bill to increase Oregon’s lodging tax by 1.25%, with proceeds going to wildlife conservation, passed the OR House earlier this week and is headed for a Senate hearing this afternoon. The bill is supported by an unlikely coalition of conservationists and hunting/livestock advocates.

Oregon’s Wildlife is at Risk. Increasing the State’s Lodging Tax Could Help Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill to boost funding for wildlife conservation efforts and help protect the state’s most imperiled species. House Bill 4134, also known as the 1.25 Percent for Wildli...

Oregon lawmakers are advancing House Bill 4134, aiming to boost funding for wildlife conservation and protect Oregon’s most vulnerable species by raising the lodging tax. The new revenue would support Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife programs.

Nvm, I saw your alt-text, just confused about your comment here. Would be cool to have a mall with no parking (saying this very theoretically, not about this mall) but somehow I feel like people would be pissed off about that. *I* want NE 11th to open up!!!

Wait, this includes the parking structures? I need to compare to a current layout

Fuck offfffff.

I’m also going to stick up for Christina here. You don’t have to like Sinclair but it’s disrespectful to act like she’s their marionette. Journalists can do their own good work (and make their own mistakes) regardless of the very real effects of corporate media mergers on a free press and society.

I agree media can be major players and journalists have influence. Typically, this works in favor of neoliberal status quo. (I ascribe to Parenti’s view on this.) I don’t think this case, where the reporter used a more familiar term that also better depicts the harm done, is a good example of that.

This suggestion troubles me a bit. Official gov and police sources often use phrases and words I find inaccurate, and I don’t repeat them for that reason. ie “officer-involved shooting” or “accident” instead of “crash.” Gov comms don’t need to strive for accuracy/fairness the way journalists should.

No journalist is required to take the framing of those in power at face value. And if they feel they have to, it is not a truly free press. Maybe the question is more whether people *should* have a right to legal eviction process, if they are forced into specific places under threat of imprisonment.

My opinion is that neither side necessarily won. The judge said he agreed with the chief petitioners (the public safety initiative backers) on essentially every procedural point. The PCEF defenders may prevail in limiting the petitioners’ ability to collect signatures due to their own error.

This is why the Sierra Club says it’s a win: