Unemployment

Well, this isn't exactly the chart that we want to be known for in Oregon. While I've seen a lot of indicators that things are on the upswing, this is still a big negative for the state. In talking to friends, family, and clients, this is definitely an important issue. There are a lot of people out there that are still worried about losing their job, and if they do this is what they have to look forward to. I think this also has a psychological effect for people that do have jobs. You get a lot of 'I'm just happy to have a job' out there. The problem I see with this is there doesn't seem to be as much job satisfaction. I'd love to see this number drop and start seeing people back to work.

However, I don't see this happening unless we start getting more corporations to come to Oregon, and Portland. This is where forward thinking leaders are needed. We need to offer the tax incentives of other states, and not get greedy in the short term. While I know budgets are tight, it's not the time to start taxing companies that provide jobs. Bring the companies in and the tax base will grow! It seems like a simple premise. More companies = more jobs = more people paying taxes. Is this not the way it works???

The problem I see is that doesn't seem to be the stance I see in the City of Portland. I have talked to accountants, community leaders, and small business owners and they all seem to agree. We need to be more business friendly. Give the business taxes a temporary break. Get businesses to start up again, and get people working!