Sam
First, I am not very enamored with statistical measures. They tend to turn me off. That said, there are a few that I believe are very important:

Education level, number of people pursuing advanced degrees, and the number of dropouts are all vital facts. The percent of our city national product spent on education for k12 and for advanced degrees would be telling if we had good data to compare with.

When I think back to the time I organized my business,1981, I could have lived anywhere on the west coast and still provide the same services to my customers. K12 education was the single most important thing my wife and I discussed. Had Portland had the same educational system back then (1981) that it has today, we probably would have relocated.

Your statistical approach is very general, yet I suspect the future for Portland and our region is to find a technology or knowledge niche we can exploit and build around that. Bio Tech Medical is the current strategy. I am not convinced we really have a niche, but are just longing to be a player in that arena.

If we do not have a solid niche, we need to be able to be nimble which means we need a very well educated work force, one which can change quickly.

I remember being in Singapore in 1983 and was struck by the ability of some businesses apparent ability to shift focus and product lines in a very short time. I was not there long enough to assess if they were successful, but it takes a very dedicated and skilled work force to be able to do that.

Will the statistics you are suggesting be useful in judging whether we will be successful? I am of the opinion they will only be used by the folks seeking more government handouts, not the vital few who will make a huge difference on our economy or our city.

Until we get our K12 school situation straightened out, I doubt many will want to have their family here unless they want to put their kids in private schools which has its own baggage and problems.

My vote is no because I think the statistics are too esoteric.

Don Baack