Anti-business policies and ideological extremism are severely impacting local economies and eroding tax bases. The loss of good-paying jobs is directly undermining the quality of life for communities and the people in them. Save Our Cities is committed to reversing this trend by attracting new businesses, projects, and job opportunities. Our goal is to foster sustainable economic growth and prosperity, while ensuring that our environment is preserved for future generations.
Oregon was recently named the “most woke state in the country” by Zippia.com. While not unique, Oregon serves as a case study in how the extreme policies of one city—Portland—can cast a long shadow across an entire state. Overregulation, high taxes, anti-business sentiment, and neglect of public safety have left many Oregonians disillusioned and burdened.
Are progressive policies chasing business and individuals away as economic opportunity evaporates? The facts show Oregonians are challenged to sustain growth and prosperity in the state they cherish.
Portland’s appeal in the national real estate market hit a two-decade low, ranking 80 out of 81 in the Urban Land Institute’s latest survey.
Target, Nike and REI all complained about crime in Portland privately before announcing plans to close stores in the city in 2023.
The closures followed months—and in some cases years—of negotiations between company officials and the city over getting additional police patrols near their locations, improving response times and removing homeless encampments.
“The number of unemployed Oregonians is on the rise, according to state economists…. Workers in construction, private education, and financial services were among the most affected.”
Plummeting property values in downtown Portland are costing the city millions of dollars in tax revenue that would otherwise go to vital city services, as the city looks at a $92.8-million budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year…Office buildings once bustling with workers are now littered with “for lease” signs – offering a stark reminder of better days for Portland. The bottom line shocks the conscience. Records KATU obtained from Multnomah County show Portland’s 20 largest office spaces had a combined market value of $3 billion in 2019. The value dropped to $1.3 billion in 2024.
Economists are warning that Portland could be heading towards what they call an “urban doom loop.” An urban doom loop happens when businesses close, people move out of a city, and in turn, tax revenue goes down, which causes a decrease in programs that spark economic activity, causing more businesses to keep closing.
Target, Nike and REI all complained about crime in Portland privately before announcing plans to close stores in the city in 2023.
The closures followed months—and in some cases years—of negotiations between company officials and the city over getting additional police patrols near their locations, improving response times and removing homeless encampments.
“The number of unemployed Oregonians is on the rise, according to state economists…. Workers in construction, private education, and financial services were among the most affected.”
Plummeting property values in downtown Portland are costing the city millions of dollars in tax revenue that would otherwise go to vital city services, as the city looks at a $92.8-million budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year…Office buildings once bustling with workers are now littered with “for lease” signs – offering a stark reminder of better days for Portland. The bottom line shocks the conscience. Records KATU obtained from Multnomah County show Portland’s 20 largest office spaces had a combined market value of $3 billion in 2019. The value dropped to $1.3 billion in 2024.
Economists are warning that Portland could be heading towards what they call an “urban doom loop.” An urban doom loop happens when businesses close, people move out of a city, and in turn, tax revenue goes down, which causes a decrease in programs that spark economic activity, causing more businesses to keep closing.
The old Oregon Trail brought settlers seeking opportunity to the state. The new Oregon Trail leads people seeking opportunity out of Portland as public safety concerns, hostility to business, tolerance of crime and high taxes erode the quality of life they once enjoyed.
“Oregon’s ideological fault lines exposed during the anti-police riots of 2020 are again coming to the fore, as the Greater Idaho movement looks to sever the conservative geographic majority of the state from the urban progressive movement.”
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— A survey of more than 440 small employers by Oregon Business and Industry with the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce found 41% of small business owners are considering leaving due to high taxes and regulatory burdens.
“Sadly, these results were not surprising to us. Employers have faced and continue to navigate unprecedented challenges, but these challenges are not solely the product of one-time events. They include systemic problems rooted in an indifference held by far too many toward the health and well-being of our state’s private sector employers.”
Chipmakers are shedding jobs across the Portland area… the Commerce Department picked three other states over Oregon as the sites of major semiconductor research hubs.
It is no exaggeration to say that Oregon is experiencing a competitiveness crisis. Unless state leaders acknowledge the problem and seek to change its causes, the damage to Oregonians, their communities and their public institutions will be significant. One of ECONorthwest’s most alarming findings involves the manufacturing sector, in which employment shrank by 3.3% over the 12-month period. Manufacturing jobs tend to pay very well.
“Oregon’s ideological fault lines exposed during the anti-police riots of 2020 are again coming to the fore, as the Greater Idaho movement looks to sever the conservative geographic majority of the state from the urban progressive movement.”
Fox News »
— A survey of more than 440 small employers by Oregon Business and Industry with the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce found 41% of small business owners are considering leaving due to high taxes and regulatory burdens.
“Sadly, these results were not surprising to us. Employers have faced and continue to navigate unprecedented challenges, but these challenges are not solely the product of one-time events. They include systemic problems rooted in an indifference held by far too many toward the health and well-being of our state’s private sector employers.”
Chipmakers are shedding jobs across the Portland area… the Commerce Department picked three other states over Oregon as the sites of major semiconductor research hubs.
It is no exaggeration to say that Oregon is experiencing a competitiveness crisis. Unless state leaders acknowledge the problem and seek to change its causes, the damage to Oregonians, their communities and their public institutions will be significant. One of ECONorthwest’s most alarming findings involves the manufacturing sector, in which employment shrank by 3.3% over the 12-month period. Manufacturing jobs tend to pay very well.
For Oregon—and states like it—to thrive, political ideology must take a backseat to practical progress. Encouraging entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and infrastructure investment is critical to creating jobs, boosting tax revenue, and ensuring a safer, more prosperous future for all.
