Katz tries new tactic to attract business
08/19/03
SCOTT LEARN
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/exclude/1061294945325650.xml

Portland Mayor Vera Katz said Monday that she wants to set up a fund to retain and recruit businesses
[Never owned or ran a business]

Recruiting new businesses and expanding existing ones "isn't about having an economic development fund," Leonard said. "Businesses just want issues they have with building a new building or remodeling a new building resolved expeditiously and fairly. [Never owned or ran a business]

Commissioner Erik Sten wants to make sure that the city keeps its eye on maintaining its livability, a key asset in recruiting business. [Never owned or ran a business]


So the question arises, What kind of businesses do you want and where do you want to put them?

My wife is an artist. She is in her own business. I am a one person subchapter S corporation providing computer consulting and web hosting services. There are literally thousands of self-employed and mom and pop shops in our city. We are proud of our businesses. Are we the businesses the city is trying to "retain and recruit"? I think not.

Most businesses choose to move or establish themselves in a certain location for a myriad of reasons very few of them having anything to do with a city public relation's fund or the ease of getting a building permit.

Retail businesses move to places where their demographic studies show there are potential customers. All the PR funds in the world will not persuade middle class shops to move into a neighborhood saturated with low-income government clients with little or no disposable income. Have any of you ever heard of the three basic rules for retail business success: 1. Location 2. Location 3. Location.

At least Sten's office professes a concern for livability. But where and whose livability?

It's time for a lot more HONESTY from city hall.

First, ALL of the commissioners need to support the trivial effort required to enhance the city mapmaker's capability to identify addresses by neighborhood in bulk.* Commissioner Leonard should have taken the lead on this a long time ago but apparently he could use some coaxing and a history lesson from his more experienced colleagues. Leonard needs to start acting like he had some idea what being responsible for the health of Portland's neighborhood associations was all about. The main purpose of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement is to encourage and support the volunteer citizens that make neighborhoods viable political entities. Leonard's recent efforts to turn neighborhood offices into satellite branches of city government may have some benefit but that is NOT ONI's mission. Neighborhood staff get paid to support neighborhood activists NOT the Development Services Bureau or the Police Bureau or any other Bureau.

Second, ALL of the commissioners need to tell us what kind of businesses they are trying to recruit with our money. The Portland Business Alliance represents big, wealthy, growth without end Amen establishment businesses. Are more of these type businesses the object of our affection and public dollars? If so then tell us. And each time, before you tell us who you're trying to attract, tell us what happened to Columbia Sportswear and the Windmill makers.

* http://www.goodgrowthnw.org/GovGetsMap.html