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Blog Post | Transportation

Why are young people driving less? | David Rosenfeld

New report by OSPIRG Foundation and Frontier Group that documents the nationwide decline in driving—and finds that young people are leading the trend. The report explores the many factors that have led to the decrease in driving among the young. Bottom line: if these trends are structural, as the data suggests, then transportation planners will need to overhaul their assumptions about whether the nation needs (or can afford) major highway expansions.

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Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Transportation

Transportation and the New Generation

Federal and local governments have historically made massive investments in new highway capacity on the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a rapid and steady pace. The changing transportation preferences of young people—and Americans overall—throw those assumptions into doubt. The time has come for transportation policy to reflect the needs and desires of today’s Americans—not the worn-out conventional wisdom from days gone by.

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Media Hit | Transportation

Study Says Teens are Waiting to Get Their Driver's License

Oregon's roads have actually increased in traffic over the last several years, but as far as drivers 15 to 18, that number has decreased.

The OSPIRG Foundation and Frontier Group say the key factors keeping kids off the roads include gas prices, insurance costs and finding different methods of transit such as biking or public transportation.

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News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

Health Insurance Rates to Rise 8-14% for Many Oregon Small Businesses

If approved, the insurer will raise rates 5.56% on average beginning in July, affecting 35,224 Oregonians enrolled in coverage through a small business employer.

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Media Hit | Transportation

Study Says Teens are Waiting to Get Their Driver's License

Oregon's roads have actually increased in traffic over the last several years, but as far as drivers 15 to 18, that number has decreased.

The OSPIRG Foundation and Frontier Group say the key factors keeping kids off the roads include gas prices, insurance costs and finding different methods of transit such as biking or public transportation.

> Keep Reading
News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

Health Insurance Rates to Rise 8-14% for Many Oregon Small Businesses

If approved, the insurer will raise rates 5.56% on average beginning in July, affecting 35,224 Oregonians enrolled in coverage through a small business employer.

> Keep Reading
News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Budget

Oregon Receives a B+ in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Researchers at the OSPIRG Foundation graded all 50 states on how well they provide online access to information about government spending. States were given "A" to "F" grades based on the characteristics of the online transparency systems they have created to provide provide information on contracts, subsidies and spending at quasi-public agencies.

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News Release | OSPIRG | Health Care

Health Exchange Clears Oregon Legislature

Consumers might see decent affordable coverage on the horizon, now that Oregon lawmakers have given the green light for the new Health Insurance Exchange.

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Media Hit | Tax

Group says Corporate Tax Subsidies Need Justification

A new report released today by OSPIRG says more needs to be done to prove that corporate tax subsidies provide enough value to the public.

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Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Transportation

Transportation and the New Generation

Federal and local governments have historically made massive investments in new highway capacity on the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a rapid and steady pace. The changing transportation preferences of young people—and Americans overall—throw those assumptions into doubt. The time has come for transportation policy to reflect the needs and desires of today’s Americans—not the worn-out conventional wisdom from days gone by.

> Keep Reading
Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

Comments on PacificSource's Small Business Rate Hike Proposal

PacificSource is proposing to increase rates 5.56% on average, affecting 35,224 Oregonians enrolled in small business plans. If approved, this rate increase will have wide ranging impacts. Most enrollees will see increases of between 6% and 10%. Some will see increases of up to 11.2%. Over 27% will see increases of between 8% and 14%.

 

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Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money 2012

This report is OSPIRG Foundation’s third annual ranking of states’ progress toward “Transparency 2.0” – a new standard of comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility. The past year has seen continued progress, with new states providing online access to government spending information and several states pioneering new tools to further expand citizens’ access to spending information and engagement with government.

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Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Budget, Tax

Revealing Tax Subsidies

Last year, Oregon took an important first step towards showing the public whether the hundreds of millions of tax dollars spent on corporate economic development tax subsidies are worth the money. House Bill 2825 went into effect at the close of 2011, requiring disclosure of twelve corporate tax subsidy programs estimated to cost taxpayers nearly $530 million in the 2011-2013 biennium.

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Blog Post | Transportation

Why are young people driving less? | David Rosenfeld

New report by OSPIRG Foundation and Frontier Group that documents the nationwide decline in driving—and finds that young people are leading the trend. The report explores the many factors that have led to the decrease in driving among the young. Bottom line: if these trends are structural, as the data suggests, then transportation planners will need to overhaul their assumptions about whether the nation needs (or can afford) major highway expansions.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Transportation

The Little Train that Could ... and Did | David Rosenfeld

Tony Dutzik from the Frontier Group's latest post about Maine's Downeaster train. Interesting similarities between Maine's situation and Oregon's.

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Blog Post | Transportation

Something's Happening Here; What it Is Is Increasingly Clear | David Rosenfeld

Another incisive post from Tony Dutzik of the Frontier Group on why declining driving numbers are real, despite what some transit opponents claim.

 

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Blog Post | Health Care

Regence Rate Increase Hearing

Health insurance premiums are going up again. The latest request for a rate hike came from Regence for their small group plans. The average increase requested over the next year will be 8%, but some businesses will see increases in excess of 15%. At OSPIRG Foundation, we’re concerned that Regence has not adequately justified this increase request.

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Blog Post | Transportation

Rail: Neither Right Nor Left, But Forward | David Rosenfeld

From the Frontier Group blog: "I hate to call attention to George Will’s latest column – a psycho-political portrait that seeks to explain why liberals supposedly adore high-speed rail. It’s an asinine column, for sure. But it is asinine in a particularly instructive way. For while Will seeks to shine a light on the workings of the progressive mind, he winds up shining a light into his own – and into the minds of the current crop of rail haters."

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  • Scrutinizing Health Insurance Rate Hikes
    Our in-depth investigations into insurers’ biggest rate hikes are helping to identify ways that insurers can lower costs and improve the quality of care.
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  • Making Health Care Work for Oregon
    See how Oregon is leading the way in giving consumers more tools to lower their health care costs.
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  • Wall Street Reform
    Help ensure that Wall Street Reform protects consumers and the economy.
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  • DANGEROUS TOYS ON STORE SHELVES?
    Find out what to watch out for — from toxic chemicals to choking hazards — in our “Trouble In Toyland” report.
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