A little something for the negative nancys...

[barfo]

That liberal rag Forbes says Oregon is the 6th best state for business and careers, up from 10th last year...

Guess they didn't get the Republican memo about how things have become so awful here - especially for business - under a Democratic government?

barfo

 

[ABM]

Well....

How Oregon can rank so high when it has high unemployment, high taxes, and a terrible state and local regulatory burden is beyond me. We have suffered from the effects of liberal domination of state government for years, and it shows. If I were starting or relocating a business, I'd go to Idaho--much more business-friendly.

 

[barfo]

Well....

Yes, that would be exactly what I meant by a negative nancy.

Here's a clue for the unnamed nancy: things are bad all over.

barfo

 

[ABM]

Yes, that would be exactly what I meant by a negative nancy.

Here's a clue for the unnamed nancy: things are bad all over.

barfo

I'm not even sure what that poll means? It appears to me that Oregon's gross product is not in line with the available workforce. I was terrible in statistics, though.

 

[barfo]

I'm not even sure what that poll means? It appears to me that Oregon's gross product is not in line with the available workforce. I was terrible in statistics, though.

Well, the first thing is, it isn't a poll...

barfo

 

[ABM]

Well, the first thing is, it isn't a poll...

barfo

What's the 2nd?

 

[barfo]

What's the 2nd?

That's right. What's on 2nd. Who's on first.

What does it mean? It means that Oregon ranked 6th out of 50 based on a set of criteria that Forbes thought was relevant to the question of which states were more business-friendly.

barfo

 

[ABM]

which states were more business-friendly.

OK, then, where's the practical application? Do folks now, somehow, just run out and hang shingles on their vacant storefronts? Sounds all peachy cream, but I'm still more than a bit incredulous. I do know that the money is out there. It boils down to consumer confidence. Whomever is able to jump-start that is the winner. I'm hopeful that Chris Dudley is a good start.

 

[barfo]

OK, then, where's the practical application? Do folks now, somehow, just run out and hang shingles on their vacant storefronts? Sounds all peachy cream, but I'm still more than a bit incredulous. I do know that the money is out there. It boils down to consumer confidence. Whomever is able to jump-start that is the winner. I'm hopeful that Chris Dudley is a good start.

I think you are confusing national and state issues. The economy is crappy all over. Chris Dudley isn't going to fix that. No governor of Oregon can do that.
What this Forbes thing suggests is that the barriers to recovery are lower here than in other states.
It doesn't say the economy is just great here on an absolute scale. There aren't currently any states where that's true.

Now, if you want to throw away the relative advantages we have, in hopes that Chris Dudley will somehow inspire consumer confidence nationwide, be my guest. He is, after all, very tall.

barfo

 

[Minstrel]

OK, then, where's the practical application? Do folks now, somehow, just run out and hang shingles on their vacant storefronts? Sounds all peachy cream, but I'm still more than a bit incredulous.

Incredulous of what? This isn't saying that anyone who starts a business in Oregon becomes an immediate millionaire. Just that if you want to run a business, Oregon is one of the six best states to do it, according to Forbes. It may be rough sledding still but, as barfo said, it's tough everywhere. Just a little better in Oregon.

 

[ABM]

I think you are confusing national and state issues. The economy is crappy all over. Chris Dudley isn't going to fix that. No governor of Oregon can do that.
What this Forbes thing suggests is that the barriers to recovery are lower here than in other states.
It doesn't say the economy is just great here on an absolute scale. There aren't currently any states where that's true.

Now, if you want to throw away the relative advantages we have, in hopes that Chris Dudley will somehow inspire consumer confidence nationwide, be my guest. He is, after all, very tall.

barfo

My only wish is that they fix the streets here. It's sad, very sad, that I have had to carve out, and memorize, (and with great joy and feeling of accomplishment!) a nice little swervy path to my place of employment in order to miss most of the collective potholes.

 

[ABM]

Incredulous of what?

Just realizing that Oregon has lead the way for quite awhile of wallowing in an economic quagmire.

 

[barfo]

OK, then, where's the practical application?

Recent Business Announcements in Oregon:

Garmin – Salem (8/24, Statesman Journal)
Expanding call center operations
Will add 200 workers at new facility (25-50 of these workers will be hired and working before the holidays at a temporary facility)

Vestas – Portland (8/18, Oregonian)
Building new North American headquarters, adding jobs
Will add as many as 200 jobs, for a total of 600 in Portland (plus 674 construction jobs)

FedEx – Troutdale (8/17, Gresham Outlook)
Opening 450,000 sq ft distribution center
200 new package handler jobs for a total of 700 jobs (many jobs transferred from Swan Island facility); long term, facility may employ 1,000

Facebook – Prineville (8/2, Portland Business Journal)
Doubling size of the data center that is currently under construction
35 long term jobs once center is complete (plus 150-200 jobs during construction, planned to last until early 2012)

Solexant – Gresham (7/19, Oregonian)
Building a manufacturing plant for thin film solar cells
Will initially employ 100 people, increasing to 170 at full production

Grape Solar – Eugene (6/2, Oregonian)
Planning a solar panel assembly plant in Eugene
Could employ 200 assembly workers

SolarWorld – Hillsboro (5/5, Sustainable Business Oregon)
Moving forward with hiring plans
Adding 350 jobs at Hillsboro plant by the end of September, to about 1,000 in all

Genentech – Hillsboro (4/5, Oregonian)
Opened $400 million manufacturing center
Adding 25 employees in 2010 and maybe 25 more over the next few years

Hi-Tec -- http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/hi-tec_moving_us_headquarters.html

Intel Expansion -- http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/intel_appears_set_to_announce.html

Cabella’s to Open First Oregon Store -- http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/cabela

barfo

 

[ABM]

Recent Business Announcements in Oregon:

Garmin – Salem (8/24, Statesman Journal)
Expanding call center operations
Will add 200 workers at new facility (25-50 of these workers will be hired and working before the holidays at a temporary facility)

Vestas – Portland (8/18, Oregonian)
Building new North American headquarters, adding jobs
Will add as many as 200 jobs, for a total of 600 in Portland (plus 674 construction jobs)

FedEx – Troutdale (8/17, Gresham Outlook)
Opening 450,000 sq ft distribution center
200 new package handler jobs for a total of 700 jobs (many jobs transferred from Swan Island facility); long term, facility may employ 1,000

Facebook – Prineville (8/2, Portland Business Journal)
Doubling size of the data center that is currently under construction
35 long term jobs once center is complete (plus 150-200 jobs during construction, planned to last until early 2012)

Solexant – Gresham (7/19, Oregonian)
Building a manufacturing plant for thin film solar cells
Will initially employ 100 people, increasing to 170 at full production

Grape Solar – Eugene (6/2, Oregonian)
Planning a solar panel assembly plant in Eugene
Could employ 200 assembly workers

SolarWorld – Hillsboro (5/5, Sustainable Business Oregon)
Moving forward with hiring plans
Adding 350 jobs at Hillsboro plant by the end of September, to about 1,000 in all

Genentech – Hillsboro (4/5, Oregonian)
Opened $400 million manufacturing center
Adding 25 employees in 2010 and maybe 25 more over the next few years

Hi-Tec -- http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/hi-tec_moving_us_headquarters.html

Intel Expansion -- http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/intel_appears_set_to_announce.html

Cabella’s to Open First Oregon Store -- http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/cabela

barfo

That's awesome. Let's hope they kick a compelling dent into the economic woes this state has suffered for so long. Thanks for finding that, barfo.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Strip Clubs FTW!

 

[maxiep]

Oregon ranks high in Business Costs (#18), which indicates to me that deals are to be had. High unemployment means a lower labor cost. An oversupply of commercial space means lower RE costs. Hydroelectricity keeps our energy costs low. No sales tax means that property taxes and income taxes pay for many business taxes.

We're #4 in Labor Supply, because we have a highly educated and growing workforce. Unfortunately there are no jobs for those people.

We're #34 in Regulation, which seems about right

We're #14 in Economic Climate and #12 in growth prospects, which I just don't understand based on their definition.

And #21 in quality of life? Are they nuts? New Jersey is #5, Pennsylvania is #7, New York is #11, Ohio is #12 and Nebraska is #14. If you love pollution, rust-belt industry and shitty weather, these are the states for you.

There's so much with the rankings here that doesn't pass the smell test to me.

 

[maxiep]

In the end, I think this survey is a reflection that there's a pretty severe labor supply/demand imbalance so Oregon looks like a decent place to have a business.

 

[MARIS61]

Dudley would have us imitate the approach these states have taken to attract business:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/29/11-poorest-states-in-the-_n_742967.html

 

[Natebishop3]

Quit making shit up barfo.

 

[tlongII]

It really boils down to an oversupply of skilled educated labor. If barfo thinks high unemployment is the key to having an attractive state business climate then more power to him.

 

[Natebishop3]

It really boils down to an oversupply of skilled educated labor. If barfo thinks high unemployment is the key to having an attractive state business climate then more power to him.

It's only going to get worse. Tons of people are going back to school, on top of the usual high numbers of college enrollment. In 4 or 5 years it's going to be twice as bad. I'm going to move to China and open a sweat shop making products for Martha Stewart. I think that would be much more profitable.

 

[barfo]

It really boils down to an oversupply of skilled educated labor. If barfo thinks high unemployment is the key to having an attractive state business climate then more power to him.

No, it really isn't based on high unemployment. That's a very serious misreading of the data.

Look at the other high-ranking states. Colorado is #4, Texas is #6. Both have unemployment rates well below the national average. Utah (#1) and Virginia (#2) have rates far below the national average. In fact, Oregon is the only state in the top 25 with unemployment significantly above the national average.

Oregon made the list in spite of the unemployment rate, not because of it.

barfo

 

[maxiep]

No, it really isn't based on high unemployment. That's a very serious misreading of the data.

Look at the other high-ranking states. Colorado is #4, Texas is #6. Both have unemployment rates well below the national average. Utah (#1) and Virginia (#2) have rates far below the national average. In fact, Oregon is the only state in the top 25 with unemployment significantly above the national average.

Oregon made the list in spite of the unemployment rate, not because of it.

barfo

I'd invite you to look at the breakdowns, not the overall rankings. Colorado, Texas, Utah and Virginia were ranked highly based on other factors.

 

[barfo]

I'd invite you to look at the breakdowns, not the overall rankings. Colorado, Texas, Utah and Virginia were ranked highly based on other factors.

I guess you might want to look at them too, then. Colorado ranks #1 in "labor supply", which I guess is what you guys think means "unemployment". And yet, Colorado has low unemployment.

barfo

 

[maxiep]

I guess you might want to look at them too, then. Colorado ranks #1 in "labor supply", which I guess is what you guys think means "unemployment". And yet, Colorado has low unemployment.

barfo

Nice try, but since I live in Colorado, allow me to drop some knowledge on you. Their definition of "Labor Supply Rank" isn't based on unemployment, but rather the labor pool's educational attainment, net migration and population growth. There are loads of highly educated people here who come for the quality of life (#9 BTW). The Front Range in particular is growing by leaps and bounds, creating a megalopolis from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. Colorado is also #15 in regulation, #6 in economic climate and #6 in economic growth. The state is quite pro business.

 

[barfo]

Nice try, but since I live in Colorado, allow me to drop some knowledge on you. Their definition of "Labor Supply Rank" isn't based on unemployment, but rather the labor pool's educational attainment, net migration and population growth. There are loads of highly educated people here who come for the quality of life (#9 BTW). The Front Range in particular is growing by leaps and bounds, creating a megalopolis from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. Colorado is also #15 in regulation, #6 in economic climate and #6 in economic growth. The state is quite pro business.

Of course I knew you lived in Colorado, that's why I picked it as the example.

You are absolutely correct that their definition of labor supply doesn't depend upon unemployment. Good that we got that out of the way. If you remember, that was the point I was making.

barfo

 

[maxiep]

Of course I knew you lived in Colorado, that's why I picked it as the example.

You are absolutely correct that their definition of labor supply doesn't depend upon unemployment. Good that we got that out of the way. If you remember, that was the point I was making.

barfo

Upon further reading, you're correct. It appears unemployment is factored into "Economic Climate". On that measure, we're #14, which shows me that they didn't put a high priority on the unemployment rate. I would agree that Oregon has an overeducated labor base compared to other states (there's an influx of highly educated people into our state). CO has the same issue.

The more I look at this study, the more the methodology of it seems hinky to me. I'm not sure I buy it. If I were starting a business and didn't care where I lived, I wouldn't start it in Oregon or Washington over Texas.

 

[barfo]

Upon further reading, you're correct. It appears unemployment is factored into "Economic Climate". On that measure, we're #14, which shows me that they didn't put a high priority on the unemployment rate. I would agree that Oregon has an overeducated labor base compared to other states (there's an influx of highly educated people into our state). CO has the same issue.

The more I look at this study, the more the methodology of it seems hinky to me. I'm not sure I buy it. If I were starting a business and didn't care where I lived, I wouldn't start it in Oregon or Washington over Texas.

But by saying (hypothetically) that you don't care where you live, you are throwing out the quality of life category, where Texas ranks 38th. [I agree with you that Oregon is unaccountably low on that metric]. If you throw that out, Texas would have ranked higher than #7.

barfo

 

[maxiep]

But by saying (hypothetically) that you don't care where you live, you are throwing out the quality of life category, where Texas ranks 38th. [I agree with you that Oregon is unaccountably low on that metric]. If you throw that out, Texas would have ranked higher than #7.

barfo

I'm saying that I don't have to live where I start a business. The folks at Intel live in Santa Clara, the folks at Vestas live in Roskilde. The workers have to live where I start a business.

 

[Denny Crane]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/16/texas-tops-california-job-growth-study-shows/

Texas Tops California in Job Growth, Study Shows

According to new research by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a nonprofit free-market research institute, the second most populous state in the union created 129,000 new jobs in the past year, a 1.3 percent rate, far overshadowing the declining California, which lost 112,000 jobs during the same period.