Portland Politics Thread

[colossalorder]

Thanks for posting the metro chamber report PhillyPDX. I just had a chance to read it. Pretty discouraging.

Definitely makes the very clear case that there is a uniquely Portland problem. We should stop blaming macro forces and look to fix what is wrong locally. And, do so urgently or its going to get a lot more painful for everyone.

The performance delta between Clark and Multnomah counties is so telling. I don't know how anyone can look at that and not point at least some finger at tax differentials.

I hope this is wake up call politically. I wish that my fellow progressives would snap into the reality that there are limits to what this city can afford. Preschool for all is a lovely idea. So is free public transportation, free meals for all who need them, free education, subsidized housing for the poor, more parks and recreation centers, more libraries and so on. But we can’t have it all … we just have spend within in our means. PFA was an overreach, especially when you consider the cost to the local economy per student served. If we tax HNW and business to oblivion, they will leave and we lose our tax base, our jobs/economy and our ability to support the social services and public assets that progressives adore.

James Beard market alone will not save Portland. We must get competitive on taxes, set business/development friendly policies and reduce the bureaucratic pain that makes it so challenging for companies to operate here. We can do all this without sacrificing our progressive values and still maintain Portland's uniquely weird, crafty, small-batch culture. We never want to become Houston, but we could at least be a little more like Seattle and better balance a business-friendly climate with a liberal ethos.

That’s the tired old tirade from a life-long progressive economist who accepts that Portland is badly losing the competitive battle for economic vitality. We need to act with urgency. The red lights are flashing, Rome is burning and it seems our politicians and voters are too dug into their views to accept reality and change course.