Oregon’s Comeback: A Plan to Create Private Sector Jobs and Stimulate the Economy 2
Oregon’s Comeback:
A Plan to Create Private Sector Jobs and Stimulate the Economy
OVERVIEW
Oregon is blessed with hard working people who care about their communities, incrediblenatural beauty and abundant natural resources. But for too long, Oregon’s political leadershave made job creation and economic growth an afterthought rather than the central focus of protecting and improving our quality of life. Without jobs, our families are worse off andgovernment lacks the tax revenues to fund schools and other essential government servicesupon which we all rely. This is Oregon’s greatest challenge: saving our quality of life bycreating economic opportunities for all Oregonians.It’s no secret we’re in tough times. Our unemployment rate remains at 10.6 percent with208,696 Oregonians out of work as of August 2010.
1
That’s a full point higher than the nationalunemployment rate, and the 8
th
highest in the nation. Washington State’s unemployment rateis 8.9 percent. Idaho’s is 8.8 percent.
2
From September 2008 to June 2010, Oregon has lost anet 85,425
private sector jobs.
3
As a result, one out of five (20 percent) Oregonians is todayreceiving food stamps.
4
News stories tell the same tale. In mid-June,
The Oregonian
reportedthat “Oregon's economy is stuck in neutral, with employment and unemployment both stalledand no big industry poised to give the state a shove.”
5
In August, the
Portland
BusinessJournal
reported that a mid-year review of trends shows that Oregon has the “11th weakesteconomy in the country.”
6
But our current economic problems didn’t begin two years ago. Previous governors andlegislatures planted the seeds of our current economic troubles by spending too much andfailing to modernize and reform government when they had the chance. Worst of all, privatesector job creation was taken for-granted. Indeed, Oregon’s unemployment rate went abovethe national average in May of 1996 and it’s been stuck there ever since – fourteen straightyears.
7
Recently, the passage of the Ballot Measures 66 and 67 tax increases have made mattersworse. Economic development officers, mayors, legislators and governors from other stateshave begun recruiting Oregon businesses to come to their states and Oregon business ownerstalk of leaving the state. Regardless of whether businesses are actually leaving the state or whether entrepreneurs are taking fewer risks in Oregon, it’s clear that our economicdevelopment reputation is tarnished and that too many job creators have lost confidence inOregon as a place to invest and grow.In the aftermath of the ballot measures, even the campaign’s chief spokesman conceded that
1
Labor Force Data, Qualityinfo.org; Oregon Employment Situation: August 2010, September 14, 2010
2
http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/uranker
3
Oregon Employment Department, Qualityinfo.org database
4
“More Oregonians than ever are receiving food stamps,”
The Oregonian
, May 15, 2010
5
“Oregon unemployment stuck in neutral, report suggests,”
The Oregonian
, June 15, 2010
6
“Oregon economy ranks near the bottom,”
Portland Business Journal
, July 30, 2010
7
Bureau of Labor Statistics – Oregon vs. U.S. unemployment rates 1996-2010
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