There is no doubt that propositions 66 & 67 are important issues for the State of Oregon. The Governor and State Legislators are telling us that if these measures do not pass, they will need to cut public safety budgets for police and fire. They are also threatening to reduce teachers for our schools. But haven’t we heard this before; aren’t these the same things they said a few years ago? But the State budget has grown 65% since 2001, while the population has grown only 10% over the same period. Where is all of the money going?
With unemployment at 11% it has not subsidized businesses to retain employees. Nor has it successfully brought new green jobs like the electric car company who choose Indiana over Oregon because of our unfriendly pending business tax laws 66 & 67. We lost the construction jobs to build the plant and the first wave of 450 employees who will run the plant. The company estimated that within ten years they could be employing over 4,000 workers. Oops!
Boeing Aircraft has been a long time Pacific Northwest company, but they decided to build a new facility in South Carolina rather then Oregon. When asked why not Oregon, they stated the taxation based upon gross receipts rather then profits was simply too costly.
For Oregon to compete for large corporations, who employee hundreds to thousands of workers, we need to have sensible taxation laws. We also need a State Government who can make reasonable decisions to grow the economy. Measures 66 & 67 have already turned potential employers away. We can’t afford for these propositions to become permanente laws!
Ken Bear Cole
A Second Look Business Consulting LLC
