When publications with very different editorial perspectives question a proposed tax, City Hall should pay attention.

THE TIDE IS TURNING IN PORTLAND.

After two years of mounting frustration over City Hall’s direction, moderate Democrats are increasingly challenging the DSA’s ideological agenda and demanding results—not another round of political experiments at taxpayers’ expense.

And here’s a telling development: The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and the Portland Mercury—the latter affectionately dubbed “Pravda on the Willamette”—have all come out against Measure 26-267, the “My Two Cents” tax.

When publications with very different editorial perspectives question a proposed tax, City Hall should pay attention.

Portlanders are tired of being told that higher taxes and more government intervention will somehow fix the economic problems that government policies may be exacerbating.

You cannot tax your way to prosperity while undermining the businesses, jobs, and investment that sustain the tax base. The question for Portland’s leaders is simple: Will they listen to the growing concerns about affordability, economic vitality, and quality of life—or keep doubling down on an ideological agenda while residents and employers pay the price?

— Portland Moderate. (@pdxmoderate) October 15, 2026