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Special GAC meeting to discuss
ballot measures, tax reform
The Bend
Chamber's Government Affairs Council (GAC) meeting on
Sept. 8 will be a special one lasting 1½ hours,
beginning at 7 a.m. The program will feature Oregon Sen.
Ryan Deckert, D-Beaverton, who with several other
senators (including Ben Westlund, I-Tumalo), plan to
introduce legislation in the 2007 Legislature to reform
Oregon's income tax-heavy revenue structure. The other
half of the extended meeting will feature
representatives of groups that either support or oppose
two tax-limiting ballot measures on the November ballot,
Measure 41 ("An Act to Prohibit Double Taxation"), and
Measure 48 ("Taxpayers' Bill of Rights," or TABOR).
Measure 41 would allow Oregon taxpayers to deduct what
they pay in federal taxes from their Oregon taxes, and
Measure 48 would limit the amount of revenue the state
government could collect based on a complex formula that
includes the rate of inflation and the amount of
population growth. If you're not a regular GAC member
and are interested in attending this important session
at Bend Golf and Country Club on Sept. 8, you may
register on-line at
www.bendchamber.org or
call Lindi at the Chamber office, 382-3221. If you have
questions about the program, call Jeff at the Chamber
office.
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A
variety of suggestions on Juniper Ridge
Last week's survey
question was, "What should the Bend Chamber do as the
city moves forward on Juniper Ridge?" We received a
number of good responses. Here are some:
"If this thing is not final ... I think this whole
thing should be put to a public vote. The usual thing
with the Council is that they hold hearings and despite
public input to the contrary, they proceed with their
original plans. The only way to stop them is with a
public vote that they cannot ignore. My thanks to the
Chamber Board and Mike Schmidt for standing up to them.
I'm sorry they did not listen to you."
"The Bend Chamber was not interjected early enough
in the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and
the master developer. The only binding section is
fraught with the issue of noncompetitiveness, which has
been a lesson relearned time and time again throughout
federal and state governments' dealings with industry. A
popular comedian has coined the expression, bYou can't
fix stupid.' Let's hope the Chamber can help the city
before it's too late."
"Stay on them. The only thing that will keep the
city councilors accountable is to know that the business
community and the public are looking at all the
processes and decisions that are being made. It is
apparent to me that the Chamber had a large effect on
the city's decision to restrict the obligation to the
developer in the MOU that was agreed to Wednesday
night."
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Chambers, Commute Options
teaming up to push alternative transportation
In the three
months between September 15 and December 15, the newly
formed Central Oregon Chambers of Commerce group and
Commute Options, the non-profit organization that
promotes choices other than driving alone, will hold a
campaign with the goal of signing up 20 new Chamber
members as Commute Options partners. Commute Options
will be meeting with representatives of Chamber
businesses with more than 25 employees throughout
Central Oregon to explain the benefits of being a
partner, such as how employees can save money on
transportation costs and companies can reduce employee
parking needs while preserving customer parking. To
schedule an appointment with Commute Options or for more
information: Call 330-2647 or go to
info@commuteoptions.org.
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California mulls the
highest minimum wage in nation
It appears
California soon will join its West Coast neighbor states
in having the highest minimum wages in the nation. Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators this
week reached an agreement that would boost California's
minimum wage in stages to $8 an hour in the next 18
months. The deal would not allow yearly increases for
inflation like in Oregon and Washington. Currently,
Washington's minimum wage is the highest in the nation
among states at $7.63, while Oregon is second at $7.50.
The highest minimum wage in the nation is within the
city limits in San Francisco ($8.82 per hour).
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Wildfire could be issue in
Oregon, the West in days ahead
So-called "red
flag" warnings have been posted for the Northwest in the
coming days, including Oregon, as low humidity, the
possibility of lightning and possible winds add up to
increased danger to forests and wildlands. As of
Wednesday, fires were burning in eight Western states,
with the largest in Oregon south of Burns near Steens
Mountain. Central Oregon has had fires burning almost
continuously for the past several weeks, and officials
are warning both recreationalists and people living near
wildfire-prone areas to be on the lookout. In related
fire news, the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality on Wednesday issued an air quality smoke
advisory for all of Central and Eastern Oregon because
of smoke from wildfires.
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Chamber update on Juniper
Ridge
The Bend Chamber
feels that the decisions regarding Juniper Ridge are the
most important decisions the council will make this year
and possibly for years to come.
Earlier this year, the Chamber became concerned
with the direction of Juniper Ridge when it became
apparent the focus had changed dramatically from the
original planning study, which was created with
significant public input. With our mission of "Enhancing
the Economic Vitality of Bend," the Chamber is concerned
about the city's lack of affordable industrial land.
Upon further review, we realized that the direction the
city was taking had some serious flaws, which warranted
further review and citizen input. We appreciated the
chance to discuss our concerns and offer public input.
In a letter dated June 9, the Chamber stated it
could live with the revised mixed-use concept if it felt
assured that the city's future industrial land needs
were being met. The Chamber also stated it had concerns
about the structure of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
and whether the city was obtaining appropriate value for
the property.
Upon further review, the Chamber is satisfied that
the city's industrial land needs could be met. The
city's commitment to expedite development of the first
100 acres will help initially. In addition to the
research and development/industrial acreage within
Juniper Ridge, it appears the city intends to utilize
some of the land surrounding the project area for what
the MOU refers to as "standard" light industrial land.
The Chamber commends the council's efforts to
improve the financial structure of the deal for the
city. It is amazing that in just a few months the city's
potential return has improved by several hundred million
dollars. The Chamber may not agree with all aspects of
the agreement, but it is certainly a much better deal
for the citizens of Bend.
The Bend
Chamber Board is proud of our efforts that have been
instrumental in helping the city draft a better deal. We
intend to collaboratively monitor the drafting of the
Development and disposition agreement and continue to
offer constructive input. We look forward to helping the
city create a top quality project that is financially
good for the city and enhances the economic vitality of
Bend.
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This week's survey question
Has the smoke from various
forest fires in Central Oregon affected your business or
you personally? Please e-mail your responses to:
jeff@bendchamber.org.
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