Restoration in the News: Talking About Portland's Doom Loop and Socialism Hollowing out Oregon
Catch Senior Editor Jeff Reynolds on the Newsmakers at Noon Radio Hour discussing the ongoing destruction of a blue state by socialist policies.
Jeff Reynolds made an appearance on the Newsmakers at Noon Radio Hour in Salem, Oregon with hosts Denise Quinn and Hunter Newton on November 20. Two main topics dominated the conversation: The Portland "Doom Loop," and the insane gas and payroll tax hike passed by the legislature. These topics blended to give a full picture of blue state policies hollowing out the livability and vitality of a once great state that has now descended into madness.
Portland's Doom Loop comes from an article written by Dr. Eric Fruits, a well-known economist in Oregon. Dr. Fruits wrote that there are nine factors contributing to the slow, inexorable descent of one of the west coast's most vibrant cities into utter unlivability. His points of reference include urban economic collapse, the flight of the tax base, erosion of the employment base, and a collapse in commercial real estate. These factors, along with an utter disregard for law enforcement, create a dystopia in Portland that it can't escape due to vanishing revenues. Dr. Fruits compares Portland to Detroit and Pittsburgh, two cities that took drastically different approaches to their economic collapses with predictably different results. He estimates that Portland has very limited time to course correct—perhaps as little as two to five years—before the collapse becomes irreversible.
This led to a spirited radio discussion among the three.
The next segment tied into the first with an examination of the petition campaign to refer a new tax in Oregon to the ballot. In response to a largely imaginary $300 billion revenue deficit in the Oregon Department of Transportation, Gov. Tina Kotek (D-Portland) rammed an "emergency" tax bill through the Democrat-controlled legislature that would raise $4.3 billion in new revenues. This bill includes a large hike in the already bloated gas tax, several other tax increases in the transportation sector, and a doubling of several payroll taxes. Oregonians are understandably put out, given they already have some of the highest gas prices in the nation, and have lined up by the thousands to sign the petition. Jeff, Hunter, and Denise gave updates and predictions on all the madness.
This was a lively discussion that left everyone with real concerns as to whether Oregon can survive on its current course. Check out the full interview below.
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