Lessons for Oregon from Florida’s boom

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation,

Oregon just dropped to near last in the national business ranking, while Florida just broke a new record for businesses in the state.

At a recent American Legislative Exchange Council conference ,Florida’s former Speaker of the House distilled the success down to two words: “consistency” and “predictability.” Those two goals are simple and easy.  Yet, not for Oregon.

Kotek and lawmakers threw businesses a huge curveball in 2019 when they invented the Corporate Activities Tax — a punishing gross receipts tax (taxes revenue instead of profits) seldom found elsewhere in America.   Oregon lawmakers passed a $4.8 billion gas tax/wage tax that would have been disrupting to all businesses reliant on transportation and delivery.  One moment, Oregon is handing out lavish tax breaks to data centers — the next there is talk of a ban.  If Oregon wants to be successful, it needs to stop disrupting the economy and start leaving people alone to be successful.  Consistency and predictability is the goal.

Also, a county commissioner from Pasco County hailed their county as the second biggest commercial growth county in America.   He touted the county’s ready-to-go business  properties and their ambitious job training programs.  If a large business aims to move into the county they can train their future employees in the county and get a grant from the county when it is finished.