The sad fact is that while Portland may do all right without jobs (so long as the hipster influx continues and they keep begging Mom and Dad for money, anyway), the real problem is with the rest of the state. I'm very serious when I ask at what point do people move out of the rest of Oregon because the taxes necessary to bail out Portland make living anywhere else in the state almost impossible?

This isn't just idle speculation. I was a kid when New York City defaulted, and I remember people moving out of upstate New York because the taxes necessary to pay off NYC's debt jumped through the roof. I'm waiting for the day that you start seeing businesses and individuals bailing on Oregon, yelling "Let the hipsters pay for their own toys" as they go over the Siskyou Pass.

...and the old question remains 'are you better off'?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/us/politics/better-off-its-less-clear-than-in-1980-campaign.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

TTR: Good points; but, I suggest they won't be going over the Siskiyou. They'll be going over the CRC.

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TTR, it's already happening, the neighbors sold out took a hit on their loan and moved to Montana with the parting comment, adi-f---king-os

"You can imagine how bad it would be without the government (and taxpayer-subsidized) make-work jobs that are so prevalent in Portland these days."

It may be actually worse with those make work jobs due to the adverse impact from misspending the nonexistent money on them.

Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail is the ultimate farce of creating jobs as all of the local match shares are funded by borrowing against existing revenue streams which fee more important government services and those employed there.

With interest costs and out of state purchases of rail cars and other big ticket elements that makes the project a local job killer as no replacement revenue is available to fund those essential services jobs.

This is what happens when nefarious elected officials who evade the voters and piece together and financing scheme without any new funding which voters would often approve for a project.

But when the scoundrels know they would never get voter approval they shift into their scurrilous money grab gear and pilfer everything necessary to buy their new toy.

All the while telling everyone how vital it and how wise they are for their savvy financing package.

These are the worst of the worst in local governments and their conniving racketeering has become an invitation for voters to remove them.

C'mon, we need more taxes, get rid of the corporate kicker, take more money from schools via URDs and funding PERS contributions. This'll draw all kinds of employers.

If you just had the vision to see where this'll put us in 20 years, you'd be able to realize how smart politicians are here in OR.

Thought it was funny the economist saying those unemployment numbers are so bad.

Sorry, what he said:

"State Employment Economist Nick Beleiciks said the losses likely aren't that steep."

Spoken by someone with a govt job and good benefits.

TTR, you smacked it right on top of the head. This has been going on for many years now.

Our happy place is traveling the backroads of Oregon,Washington,Montana & Idaho and just returned from a week in the Yellowstone area. We started noticing about 3 years ago the difference in the economies. The next time you are in Spokane travel to Coeur d' alene and notice the change in scenery at the Idaho State line. The commercial building density is amazing, it is very easy to tell which state is really open to business. Driving through Boise and on to Idaho Falls a couple of weeks ago I was struck by the huge inventories of commercial vehicles, cars and trucks and especially the RV's including huge high end buses. Also noticed very little commercial property for sale or lease.
Returning to Oregon, empty space after empty space for sale or lease. Even the merchants in Jackson Hole were happy and upbeat as they reported the best year in a long while.

Idaho and Montana have been sucking jobs out of Oregon, Washington and especially California for several years.

Just remember, it is for the Chilren so keep reelecting these empty suited BlueManure types... move along nothing more to see here.

I'm waiting for the day that you start seeing businesses and individuals bailing on Oregon, yelling "Let the hipsters pay for their own toys" as they go over the Siskyou Pass.

I was with you up to that point, TTR. But do you remember what's on the other side of the Siskiyou Pass?

Which if any of your votes will make any of this any degree better, and if so, how?

Out here in Eastern Oregon we've been wanting to join with Idaho for years. I have no problem at all having Boise as a capitol. No problem whatsoever.

Eastern Washingtonians probably feel the same.

MJ, I remember. That was the pass I took to move back to Texas, because the last thing I wanted was to get caught in early snows in the Columbia Gorge. (By the time I left, I so loathed Portland that I swore that if my then-wife died, I'd drag her body across the border atop the car, like the aunt in National Lampoon's Vacation, just so I didn't have to bury her in Oregon.)

A considerable number of private sector jobs are directly tied to the auto industry. TriMet is anything but financially self-sustainable. Taxpayer funded subsides for public transit on average is close to 61 cents per passenger mile compared to a subsidy of six to nine cents per passenger mile for drivers. Unlike motorized highway users who pay fuel taxes and other user fees to financially support roadway infrastructure, there are no user fees assessed on bicycling to pay for specialized bicycle infrastructure. As long as the car haters are in charge shifting private sector jobs to those financed by taxpayers, Oregon will always be in need of well paying self-sustainable jobs.

"(By the time I left, I so loathed Portland that I swore that if my then-wife died, I'd drag her body across the border atop the car, like the aunt in National Lampoon's Vacation, just so I didn't have to bury her in Oregon.)"

Oh, that's so sweet. ;=)

I used to really love this (my home) state; was even proud and happy to pay my taxes. I'd say that's pretty much all gone since about 2000.

Texas TR It's already happening. I have five friends that have moved to Vancouver because of the taxes. I am retired, as soon as my wife retires (4-5 years) we are selling all the property we own here and bugging out for Wyoming. The taxes there are much less damaging to retirees than Oregon. It's sad, I was born here (and love Oregon.) But I'm not staying given the way this state is being run.

I used to really love this (my home) state; was even proud and happy to pay my taxes. I'd say that's pretty much all gone since about 2000.

I couldn't agree more. It'd be interesting to take a poll asking how many people used to love it here and now can't wait to get out.

Couldn't agree more TTR - but it was a great place for many of us for a long time, the very visible rot and invisible suffering the rulers have unleashed - while blind to all criticism and fueled by media coverup - is just too much.

I'll still visit this site cause Jack's great and we have a lot of friends here - but God willing, will be out by 2013.