Oregonians favor spending cuts, former PDC chair launches housing startup and Uber motors closer to Salem.
Poll finds Oregonians prefer spending cuts as solution to budget deficit
The poll, released by the Oregon School Boards Association, found the majority of voters surveyed prefer a decrease in spending over increased taxes to close the $1.6 billion budget gap, the Register Guard reports. The poll also found voters favored a more targeted version of Measure 97 to fund schools.
Oregonians rally against ACA replacement in light of CBO report
The Congressional Budget Office released an analysis of the American Health Care Act — a replacement for the Affordable Care Act — yesterday which found 24 million Americans would lose insurance under the new plan. In response, Oregonians gathered at the Capitol yesterday to voice their opposition, OPB reports. Sen. Ron Wyden said the plan pulls the plug on Medicaid, and Gov. Kate Brown said the bill harms Americans by increasing insurance premiums 15% to 20%.
.@RonWyden says CBO score confirms #Trumpcare is an “awful deal” for Americans. pic.twitter.com/TDScSZW1y9
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) March 13, 2017
Walden says CBO findings were incomplete
Oregon’s only Republican congressional representative says the entire proposal was not analyzed, the Portland Business Journal reports. Walden chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which drafted the bill.
Ride share services motoring closer in Salem
Uber and Lyft are one step closer to operations in Salem after the city council voted on Monday to consider changes to the city code, the Statesman Journal reports. This is the second time Salem has considered bringing the rideshare companies on board. A new mayor directed staff to reconsider their 2014 decision to prevent Uber from operating in Oregon’s capital. Local taxi companies generally oppose allowing the ride share services to operate in Salem, fearing the newer services lower standards for the industry. Proposed new code amendments under consideration would regulate traditional taxi companies and smartphone application transportation providers under similar rules.
Former PDC head launches ADU startup
Patrick Quinton has launched Dweller, a startup that intends to install Accessory Dwelling Units in residential backyards and rent them to tenants, the Portland Business Journal reports. Dweller will construct 450-square-foot homes off site and then install the units in Portlanders’ backyards. The startup will also handle the permitting process and expense related to install.
Mozilla to launch gigabit service in Eugene
As of May 2017, Mozilla (the nonprofit behind Firefox) will provide $300,000 in grant funding to Eugene and Lafayette, Louisiana. The grant will fund beta testing of a gigabit network. The fund, know as the Mozilla Community Gigabit Fund, selected the two cities based on “a developing conversation about digital literacy, access, and innovation,” as well as its entrepreneurial community and opportunities to engage with the K-12 school system.
OSU launches coding bootcamp
Down the road in Corvallis, Oregon State University is joining The Software Guild (along with Kent State University and the University of Georgia) to offer master-apprentice coding bootcamp. The online camp will span between 10 and 14 months and prepare students to join the tech industry.
