Submitted by Dave Lister on Thu, 10/06/2005 - 7:38am.
The "wagon wheel" design of our transit system is geared toward transporting workers downtown and returning them to their homes in the outlying areas. Unfortunately, the business tax and fee structure is causing the large employers downtown to move to Washington, Clackamas and Clark counties. Employment downtown is down 30,000 jobs, from 110,000 to 80,000 during the last six years. The result is commuters in Portland needing to get to jobs that are not convenient to transit, thereby increasing automobile traffic, gridlock and fuel use. The tax and fee structure on businesses in Portland and Multnomah County must be made competitive with the outlying counties to reverse this trend. Our four person company paid $3,500.00 last year for our business license in Portland. In Tigard it would be $55.00.
re: How would you improve Portland?
The "wagon wheel" design of our transit system is geared toward transporting workers downtown and returning them to their homes in the outlying areas. Unfortunately, the business tax and fee structure is causing the large employers downtown to move to Washington, Clackamas and Clark counties. Employment downtown is down 30,000 jobs, from 110,000 to 80,000 during the last six years. The result is commuters in Portland needing to get to jobs that are not convenient to transit, thereby increasing automobile traffic, gridlock and fuel use. The tax and fee structure on businesses in Portland and Multnomah County must be made competitive with the outlying counties to reverse this trend. Our four person company paid $3,500.00 last year for our business license in Portland. In Tigard it would be $55.00.