Portland Business Friendly? (sales, insurance, house)

[MtnSurfer]

Hello,

Another thread on Portland's economy raised my interest with regards to Portland's Business Friendly attitude or lack thereof. I will mention my bias which is conservative by affiliation. But in planning on moving to Portland I would like to take a 'bipartisan' look at two key questions:

1. What is the real 'Problem' as perceived by many businesses both large and small which Portland would like to attract?
2. What 'Real World Solutions' can help Portland compete in a 'Global' marketplace for jobs and new business?

I would like to be part of the potential solution and that is why I ask. I normally vote my conscious even if it means crossing party lines. I realize that 'all' politicians are flawed. And when someone is elected it is a trade off of one set of good/bad policies vs. another.

So with that in mind what will it take to make Portland a more business friendly city and consequently produce more jobs for everyone? Note that I am not trying to flame the current politicians. But rather understand the problem in order to look for better solutions. I also have no 'hidden' agenda. So how can we fix things folks?

Thanks,

- Derek

[HiggsBoson]

You know what businesses want, lower taxes, lower overall cost of operations, "good" workforce (this can mean different things to different industries), etc.

According to one benchmark Oregon is in the middle of the pack as far as being business friendly, so maybe its not great, but not as bad as some people are making it out to be.
Top 10 Pro Business

[John Shaft]

The anti-business crowd is loud, and it probably makes them seem larger than they really are here. Nevertheless, they are present here and do have some amount of sway. They have this weird mindset that true progress is making sure things stay the way they were in the 1960s.

One problem is the lack of large businesses in Oregon--these tend to pay higher wages, but at the expense of employees being numbers in cubicles, which is anathema to independent-minded Oregonians. The culture here is built around "local-ness" which also prohibits bigger corporations from moving in. (All this being said, I am not saying that "big" companies are the answer to everything.)

I think another base issue is that quite a few people are very happy with the situation as it is. Maybe the economic opportunities aren't there, but as a result, there haven't been vast portions of the state bulldozed into parking lots and industrial thingamajigs. That most certainly results in a more pleasant surrounding landscape.

[bobmulk]

I don't think that the dearth of large companies is due to the cubicle society. I defy you NOT to find such in high tech, insurance, call centers, just about anywhere.

As a native Oregonian who has lived out of state and traveled overseas this is my take...Oregonians are not progressive when it comes to business. Oregon was settled by people who wanted to farm, have land, have a good life. The history of our state is rooted in taking care of the environment and our stance on progressive issues. Business has never been our strong point.

There doesn't seem to exist a drive to succeed at all costs, to be innovative, to be the best. Now I know I'm painting with a broad brush, one can look at Nike or Columbia Sportswear or any number of smaller companies. But, the truth is that I don't believe Oregonians want success badly enough. If not, then why does Seattle have well-known companies like Boeing (recently left for Chicago), Nordstrom, Microsoft, Costco, Starbucks, Amazon.com, RealNetworks, WAMU?

When I travel overseas I tell people where I'm from and they have no idea where Portland is. I say "South of Seattle" and EVERYONE knows then. I'm not saying that Seattle is better or that large businesses are better. I'm just giving my viewpoint. And I truly believe that Oregonians are not driven the way people are in Seattle, Silicon Valley, Texas, Denver, etc.

I think it would behoove us to be a little more aggressive. Corporate headquarters provide high paying jobs; oftentimes people leave and start new companies which then become large in their own right. Large businesses become involved in the social fabric of the community contributing to things like the Salvation Army, Cacade AIDS Project, et al. Large companies provide the community with leaders that can get things done (something desperately needed in uber-planning happy Portland).

I've always had the impression that Portland sees businesses as a necessary evil. Sometimes I think the city would take every spare penny each business has so it could then spend, spend, spend. There is a very definite ignorance in City Council on what is necessary for economic growth. Indeed, look at the background of these people. How many of them have a deep background in the business world?

My 2 cents.

[Venusian_Artist]

I think another issue is that rich people don't want to live here, because of high taxes. Who starts businesses with venture capital typically? The wealthy. I've known a few who wanted to live in Portland, but after seeing what it would cost them, would only consider Vancouver, WA.

[MtnSurfer]

Interesting comments everyone. I think this helps to better understand the problem.

To attract solid companies and jobs in a 'global' marketplace a city has to work hard at becomeing business friendly. They have to 'want it.'

I think Bob described it best in saying Portland looks at business as a necessary evil. People want good paying jobs but don't neccessarily like what comes with those jobs. And I guess I can understand that in part from an environmental stand point. But not every big company is spewing out garbage into the environment. And whether one likes cubicles or not, the companies which house those cubicles offer a lot of economic stimulus back into the community at large.

While living in California I saw the dark side of this with oil refineries dumping out pollution right into the beautiful ocean I loved to surf and swim in. And yes capitalism 'at any cost' has its ugly side. That is one of the reasons I left California and moved my family to Colorado. Colorado seems to have a much better balance between respecting and protecting its environment 'And' attracting diverse and solid companies for its residents and economy.

I think 'Balance' is the key - a healthy respect for one's environment, good city planning and an effective business plan to attract the right kind of businesses. This creates a win/win situation for the cities economy and the new companies which it attracts. Of course there will always be people who want to stop progress of any kind and fight change every chance they get instead of realizing it is inevitable and 'planning' for it. But for Portland's economy to improve it needs the stimulus which soild businesses provide.

I guess the real question is what effective goals and strategies can be used to attract the right kind of business?

[bobmulk]

Excellent, Mtn.

One other thing that needs to happen in Oregon is a true dedication to education. The Republicans freak any time anyone asks for money and the Democrats are too willing to throw money at everything and want NO accountability. If these two sides could just overcome their damn stupidity and focus on what's good for the state, we'd be much better off. Can you tell it irks me?? lol

Mtn also made a good comment about taxation. Oregon's tax burden is outdated. We need a sales tax--at the expense of the income/or property tax. Unfortunately, there is an element in this state that fights tooth and nail against any change. It's understandable, how can you trust politicians with your money. But if we don't do SOMETHING, Oregon will wind up the Mississippi of the West Coast. A boutique state where only the wealthy and the tragically hip live.

[Venusian_Artist]

Originally Posted by bobmulk

Excellent, Mtn.

One other thing that needs to happen in Oregon is a true dedication to education. The Republicans freak any time anyone asks for money and the Democrats are too willing to throw money at everything and want NO accountability. If these two sides could just overcome their damn stupidity and focus on what's good for the state, we'd be much better off. Can you tell it irks me?? lol

It upsets all of us, but I doubt government from either side has the answer. Look at Utah: low funding, high test scores. Why? Parental involvement in the kids' lives.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by Venusian_Artist

It upsets all of us, but I doubt government from either side has the answer. Look at Utah: low funding, high test scores. Why? Parental involvement in the kids' lives.

You have a point. I read that the District of Columbia has the highest dollar spent per student and if not the lowest test scores, pretty close to the lowest. It does take more than money to make a good school.

[HiggsBoson]

Well Im probably in the minority view (since this is a Portland forum), but I think a major part of the problem is the huge bureaucracy that is public education. My 5 year old son is in a charter school here in AZ and they are way ahead of the public schools, he is at a first grade level on most subjects. I also think parents get more involved in charter schools, they seem to have more of a sense of ownership of the school being successful than at public schools, where I get the feeling many parents believe its all the governments responsibility. Certainly there are very good public schools, but they would turn into very good charter schools.

What I would do it turn all the schools into charter schools, give them an equal amount of taxpayer dollars, or better yet the voucher system where the parents get the money and decide where to spend it.