Economic plan unveiled

Portland Tribune - June 17, 2005

Commissioner Sam Adams this week unveiled a project he calls his “economic dashboard” — a framework that he’s spent the past five months crafting with the help of local economists, business leaders and other stakeholders.

Adams says the project is still in its early formation; it reflects input from the 100 businesses he visited during his first months in office, as well as from local labor groups, the Portland Business Alliance, local chambers of commerce, and representatives from Metro and Multnomah County.

The project poses the question: “How should we define economic success for Portland and the region?”

It uses business confidence, competitiveness, sustainability, innovation and other factors to gauge success for local businesses. And it uses family income, employment, health care, neighborhood livability and other factors to index success in individual and family prosperity.

Adams and his staff plan to seek further input from businesses and residents through the summer and will present a formal resolution this fall.

Warren Jimenez's recent posts | Print this page

Posted Fri, 06/17/2005 - 9:10am.

re: Economic plan unveiled

Submitted by Jefferey Farrell-Weinstein on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 8:53pm.

Hey Sam. You're doing a great job. No, I'm not stalking you because you're cute. I'm stalking you because I want you to do a good job and I know you can do it. From what I've witnessed, you've been doing an incredible job. Now, there is one thing you must do that would mean the world to not just me, but to Portland itself. Bring back bonafide glorious department stores to downtown. Penny's, Sears, Bon Marche, Macy's; bonafide department stores where you can get lost in them all day. I lived here when Kress was in downtown. I remember when Sears, Penny's and Woolworths were downtown. There was a bonafide shopping district. I want that back. I think Portland wants that back too. Thank you for listening to me. I'll see you the next time you're here again on the roof of the 735 St. Claire Apartments with Jeff and Andy and the whole gang. Jefferey

» reply

re: Economic plan unveiled

Submitted by M'Lou Christ on Mon, 06/27/2005 - 11:04am.

I'm thinking that Economic Dashboard you have in mind, Sam, should probably have a gauge that indicates how much of our local liquidity is being unfairly drained away--that is, how many of our retail dollars are going to 'killer' box HQs (paying their CEOs & the professional services they hire back home,etc.)
Innovation & assistance to local entrepreneurs won't be able to keep our tanks full if a huge hole in policy allows our resources to be sucked out of the region by corporations which are using killer tactics that inevitably put our own local enterprises out of business.

» reply

re: Economic plan unveiled

Submitted by Lenny Anderson on Wed, 09/07/2005 - 2:23pm.

Sam,
I am reminded of a remark that Charlie Hales made to the effect that cities are just big utilities that need to provide safety and services as efficiently as possible. Do that and business/economic growth will take care of themselves. That said,
I'm coming to the conclusion, despite or because of my work in transportation, that it is an insignificant factor in our economic future when compared with education...K thru Post-Doc. That's where all our public resources should go...take the $1 Billion to be spent on a new I-5 bridge and put it into PSU if you want to insure our economic future.
Lenny Anderson, NE Portland

» reply