Economics

Center on Wealth & Poverty
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Center on Wealth & Poverty
January 8, 2026
Energy
1

Why Utilities Cost More: Oregon’s Net Zero

Center on Wealth & Poverty
January 8, 2026
Energy
1

Discovery Institute recently partnered with Angela Todd of PDXReal in Portland, Oregon, to examine the catastrophic impacts of Net Zero policies bearing down on Washington and Oregon. See her latest report. For more information on net zero policies in the Pacific Northwest, and their harmful consequences, please see:

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Image by Gage Skidmore at Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Steyer_(49559849691).jpg
Walter Myers III
December 30, 2025
Energy
6

Tom Steyer’s Affordable Energy Promises to California Are Unaffordable

Walter Myers III
December 30, 2025
Energy
6
Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate activist running for California governor, promises to cut electric bills by 25 percent by breaking up big utility companies like PG&E and Southern California Edison. In his ads, he boasts about fighting oil and gas companies, like when he helped kill Proposition 23 back in 2010. But here’s the problem: California’s economy runs 84 percent on fossil fuels. It powers our cars (mostly petroleum), factories, homes for heating (mostly natural gas), and even backs up our electricity (gas plants fill the gaps). Steyer’s war on these companies ignores simple supply-and-demand math, making his bill-cutting talk ring hollow. Read More ›
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President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and senior staff applaud in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, as the House passes the health care reform bill, March 21, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barack_Obama_reacts_to_the_passing_of_Healthcare_bill.jpg
Walter Myers III
December 4, 2025
Economics
5

It’s Time to Say Goodbye to the Obamacare Failure

Walter Myers III
December 4, 2025
Economics
5
Imagine tuning into a Sunday football game. Amid the flurry of touchdowns and tackles, the commercials are filled with familiar names — State Farm, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers — vying for your dollars to cover your cars, homes, and personal liability. You have choices, and the competing advertisements are evidence of a robust marketplace where consumers benefit from price competition and innovation. But imagine if, alongside those ads, you could also shop for your health insurance — across state lines, no different than car or home coverage. Read More ›
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Downtown Seattle skyline on a dark cloudy day
Image Credit: Sean - Adobe Stock
Michele Steeb
December 1, 2025
Homelessness
4

“Humanitarian Emergency”: Seattle’s New Mayor Must Bring an End to the City’s Homelessness Crisis

Michele Steeb
December 1, 2025
Homelessness
4
Seattle's incoming mayor, Katie Wilson, will inherit a homelessness crisis that will define her ability to lead. Seattle's homeless population needs more than another round of aspirational promises. They need and deserve an operational reset grounded in compassion, accountability, and the courage to confront realities the city has failed to address for years. Read More ›
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"The First Thanksgiving, 1621" by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. Public Domain image at Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_First_Thanksgiving_cph.3g04961FXD.jpg
Scott S. Powell
November 26, 2025
Economics
7

Thanksgiving: Why It Is America’s Foundational Holiday

Scott S. Powell
November 26, 2025
Economics
7
The Thanksgiving holiday, which commemorates one part of the Pilgrim story, remains the favorite holiday for many Americans. And for good reasons, beyond enjoying a feast. With our country passing through troubled times, it is worth revisiting the Pilgrims' five significant achievements, which created the seminal story of America, and reveals remarkable insights into who we are and the qualities of character we need to overcome our present challenges. Read More ›
SF-Harm-Reduction
November 24, 2025
Homelessness
1

San Francisco’s Harm Reduction Problems

November 24, 2025
Homelessness
1

San Francisco has been handing out drug paraphernalia freely to addicts for decades. Under the new administration of Mayor Daniel Lurie, however, individuals must be connected to treatment, counseling, or other recovery services to continue receiving these supplies. Filmmaker SIX SEVEN KEVIN speaks with addicts, residents, and city officials about the conditions of San Francisco’s streets. 6’7 Kevin is a documentary Read More ›

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Homeless person sleeping on a mattress
Image Credit: bdavid32 - Adobe Stock
Center on Wealth & Poverty
November 17, 2025
Homelessness
2

New Federal Direction Frees Cities to Ditch Housing First, Pursue Real Solutions

Center on Wealth & Poverty
November 17, 2025
Homelessness
2
SEATTLE, WA — “Federal reforms have finally created space for local leaders to put treatment and recovery back at the center of homelessness policy,” says Discovery Institute President Steve Buri. “Real compassion means helping people reclaim stability and dignity, not leaving them trapped in addiction and illness without a path to restoration.” Read More ›
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Urban Homelessness in Los Angeles
Image Credit: Damerfie - Adobe Stock
Scott Walter and Bruce Chapman
November 4, 2025
Homelessness
4

Left-Wing Activists Have Made Homelessness a Political Business

Scott Walter and Bruce Chapman
November 4, 2025
Homelessness
4
Moves by President Trump to crack down on cities drowning in crime and public disorder are long overdue. For years, liberal jurisdictions have let chaos run wild, with banners calling for defunding the police waving high, antisemitism parading through public parks and drug use running rampant. Read More ›