News Here's a very encouraging piece of news for good-government types. Common Cause, a national citizens advocacy nonprofit that's lacked an office in Portland for the last four years, is relaunching under the well-trained eye of Janice Thompson, the longtime executive director of Democracy Reform Oregon. Democracy Reform Oregon's work will continue but under the new name of Common Cause Oregon. ...   More

News The one part of the Oregon economy that's looking healthy these days is the campaign business. While there are only two measures on the ballot, unions and big business are shelling out like it's 1999 again (or some other year when we were not an economic basket case). Common Cause Oregon has thoughtfully provided data on who's giving to both the proponents of Measures 66 and 67, which would ...   More

News Janice Thompson at Common Cause Oregon pores over campaign finance reports like many citizens read the sports page or stock prices. And while we await tonight's election results on Measures 66 and 67 (You can still turn in your ballots at one of these dropoff sites until 8 pm, then check back here to see how the whole thing turned out), we got this report from her that shows what she gleaned ...   More

News The City Council on Wednesday afternoon will take up a resolution that would put publicly financed elections on Portland's November ballot. The Portland Business Alliance has come out against that idea, prompting an angry reaction from Commissioner Amanda Fritz to the PBA's take. Joining Fritz, the only non-incumbent to win election to council with public financing, in that outrage is Common ...   More

News ...   More