Oregon - A Business Friendly State

Since I work out of my home, I don't get the standard water cooler human interaction that most people get from going to work everyday. I make up for this by participating in online discussion. As an ardent Blazer fan, I spend a bit of time of Blazer related blogs.

The other day, I came across a blog entry from Dwight Jaynes, a retired reporter, who stated that Oregon's hostile business environment is the reason that we cannot get another pro sports team. This is an urban myth that has been popularized by the likes of Bill Sizemore and his anti-tax establishment. It's something that Oregonians hear, every election cycle.

First of all, I am not in any way anti-business. I usually roll my eyes when I hear people rant about "evil" corporations. I understand how tax policy can create an environment that businesses can be successful in. What I don't subscribe to is the notion that any tax is bad tax.

Let's take a look at the facts. The Tax Foundation, a Washington DC pro-business think tank, releases an annual ranking of states and their business tax policies. In 2009, their rankings have Oregon as the ninth best for business friendliness. That's "best" not "worst." Now granted, their are eight others above us, but surely being in the Top 10 is something we should be happy about. Out of those eight, only Texas, Florida, and Nevada actually have larger populations.

So please, next time you hear someone stating that Oregon has a hostile business climate, correct them. Don't let them damage our reputation by reciting party talking points.

Here's a link to the report.