More people moving to Oregon than any other state

[Explorer Dave]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Not true. An area prospers when business customers are national/international as with large firms. Wealth flows into a city and creates opportunity. i.e. Seattle, SFO, Chicago and others.

I spent most of my life in Eugene a town that actually also has a good small/local business climate, BUT I also saw Eugene spend tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks, infrastructure, looking the other way at pollution violations etc. to attract large international firms such as HMT, Hyundai, Sony, and others. None of these companies are out of business, they also had absolutely NO loyalty to Eugene, they had no roots there, so in a few years when the business climate changed for them for whatever reason they where gone and all the jobs they had promised with them.

Not one of those big international companies "failed" they just had no loyalty or roots in Eugene, as soon as they saw other places giving them millions in incentives, or cheaper labor, or whatever, they where gone.

It is far better for local governments to support the growth of local businesses with established roots in the community than to spend that same money attracting outside businesses that have no roots there.

Originally Posted by ccjarider

With only small business catering to a local population, the same dollars are chasing around town and no real wealth is created.

I'd much rather see money circulating around a community than going out if it to some other state or country where that businesses main operations are. Plus as we reach peak oil we will need to transition to much more local economies, areas that have an already thriving local economy will fair far better than those that don't.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Explorer Dave

I spent most of my life in Eugene a town that actually also has a good small/local business climate, BUT I also saw Eugene spend tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks, infrastructure, looking the other way at pollution violations etc. to attract large international firms such as HMT, Hyundai, Sony, and others. None of these companies are out of business, they also had absolutely NO loyalty to Eugene, they had no roots there, so in a few years when the business climate changed for them for whatever reason they where gone and all the jobs they had promised with them.

Not one of those big international companies "failed" they just had no loyalty or roots in Eugene, as soon as they saw other places giving them millions in incentives, or cheaper labor, or whatever, they where gone.

It is far better for local governments to support the growth of local businesses with established roots in the community than to spend that same money attracting outside businesses that have no roots there.



I'd much rather see money circulating around a community than going out if it to some other state or country where that businesses main operations are. Plus as we reach peak oil we will need to transition to much more local economies, areas that have an already thriving local economy will fair far better than those that don't.

I cannot speak to Eugene's experiences but if what you say is true, then naive city planners created contracts whereby the city was not protected in case companies moved. Another reason why government is an inherently bad solution to most everything. I digress though and that can be a topic for another day.

How large business is created - homegrown, moved into a city of their own accord or courted by city itself is not relevant. Large business with revenue from outside the region is essential for growth. There can be no denying of that fact.

As to your point of "loyalty" It is not good or bad if a company has loyalty to a town. That is not it's primary function. Having said that, there are hundreds of examples all over the world of company management that genuinely cares for the location where it resides. In my home state of Wisconsin, Johnson and Johnson employs thousands and devotes millions to the town of Racine and state of WI.

Right here in Portland it seems as if Intel and Nike care much for the area. Do they receive tax benefit? Probably - Don't know if it matters.

There is more oil reserve on record now that at any itme in history. Oil is cheap energy and that is a good thing.