January
2010 Newsletter
Top
Stories
1. From the chair: Business: A supporter of
education then and now
2. Update
on Taxes - Oregonian and Tribune op-ed links, reminder to
vote
3. Chandra
Brown meets the President
4. Central
Precinct's new Commander
Public
Policy
5.
Alliance, 12 other organizations urge Fish
to keep anti-camping ordinance intact
6.
Alliance weighs in on the Portland River Plan
Downtown
7.
40 artists, designers make pop-up shops a
big success
8.
Holiday marketing program supports retailers
9. Central City Concern receives grant for
treatment and counseling facility
Membership
10.
Leadership Portland participants develop community
impact projects
11.
Membership Survey: Fill out today and win
JetBlue tickets!
Member
News
12.
Nel Centro launches new Happy Hour
13.
Employment Law and Legislative Update
event with Vigilant
14. Raz Transportation / Gray Line of
Portland to offer transportation to Timberline Lodge
15. Signs Now Northwest co-owner elected
Treasurer for Dress for Success Oregon
16.
Eco Drycleaner now offers shoe services
17.
Upcoming meetings
FROM
THE CHAIR
1. Business:
A supporter of education then and now
 By
Charles Wilhoite, Chair,
Alliance Board of Directors
During
the legislative session and now in the heat of the campaign
over tax measures 66 and 67, you hear a lot about getting
business to do its "fair share" to support education. The
implication is that business has not supported education -
and that just isn't true. So I want to set the record straight.
Portland
business - and the Portland Business Alliance - have a long
history of supporting schools. Even as early as 1905, the
Portland chamber set up a student scholarship fund. From that
point on, the business community has continued to be a critical
community partner, helping to fundraise and advocate for schools.
We have steadfastly argued in Salem that schools need adequate,
stable and predictable funding, and as recently as the 2009
legislative session, argued that school budgets should be
preserved.
Some other
recent support for education includes:
- In
2003, Portland's business community agreed to a temporary
surcharge on the local business income taxes to help Multnomah
County school districts through a rough patch. That surcharge
continued for seven years, raising in excess of $30 million.
- In
2003, the business community also supported Multnomah County's
temporary personal income tax campaign to support schools;
when anti-tax activists moved to repeal it the following
year, the business community joined with public officials
to defeat that ballot measure.
- In
2005 and 2006, the Alliance worked with city officials to
devise a short-term funding plan to stabilize Multnomah
County schools for the 2006-2007 school year, which included
extending the business tax surcharge another two years.
The Alliance also worked with legislative leadership on
a special session school-funding package that assisted districts
throughout the state.
- In
2006, the Alliance supported 13-school bond and operating
levy elections for school districts in Clackamas, Multnomah
and Washington counties.
- In
2006, Alliance members also played a significant role in
raising funds for the Portland School District's $33 million,
five-year operating levy campaign.
- During
the 2007 legislative session, the Alliance joined with the
state's other leading business organizations to support
the creation of Oregon's first general fund rainy day fund
by agreeing to a one-time suspension of the corporate kicker,
providing more than $300 million to capitalize that account.
Without that fund, the 2009-2011 budget would have been
in much worse shape than it was.
- During
the 2008 election year, the Alliance supported and raised
funds for Portland Community College's $374 million bond
measure.
- In
the 2007 and 2009 legislative sessions, the Alliance was
a consistent voice in support of funding for our state's
public higher education institutions, including universities
and community colleges.
- In
2009, the Alliance board raised $29,000 in cash donations
for Portland's Marysville Elementary School after its devastating
fire.
Business
leaders support education because it makes sense for business:
Our K-12 school districts, community colleges and universities
are preparing Oregonians to go to work in our offices, factories,
and shops.
When we
look at the biggest need faced by Oregon's educational institution,
we would say it is stability. Oregon's schools have suffered
for too long under a volatile state revenue structure that
is too highly dependent on income taxes. That is why the Alliance
joined with other leading business organizations last year
to ask the Legislature to adopt a temporary revenue plan that
would get us through this tough time without impairing job
retention and development, and then work with business organizations
to fix the volatility inherent in our system.
What we
need is to permanently and completely fund a rainy day account.
Business offered a way to do it, but the Legislature failed
to act on it. Instead, they adopted a structure that makes
the state more dependent on income taxes, which will only
increase our revenue volatility and ultimately, in our view,
harm schools.
It just
didn't make sense. That is why we are asking the Legislature
to do it over. If Measures 66 and 67 fail, the Alliance believes
the Legislature should go back in February and adopt a more
measured plan that will preserve education funding and address
the issue of revenue volatility. That's what we wanted them
to do last spring, and we don't think it is too late.
Back
to the top
2.
Update on Taxes - Oregonian and Tribune op-ed
links, reminder to vote
Last
week, The Oregonian and The Portland
Tribune editorial boards shared their thoughts
on Measures 66 & 67, calling on readers to vote
no on both measures. Please take a moment to
read the articles. The editorials point out
that there is a better way to solve the state's
budget crisis than these tax increases, and
the Alliance agrees.
Read
The Oregonian article >>
Read
The Portland Tribune article >>
Ballots
will be arriving soon, so remember to vote down
these measures and help protect jobs. If Measures
66 and 67 fail, the Alliance believes the Legislature
should go back in February and adopt a more
measured plan that will preserve funding for
important services such as schools and put our
state on a path towards economic recovery.
3.
Chandra Brown meets the President
Chandra
Brown, president of United Streetcar, attended
President Obama's Jobs Summit last month. Congressman
Blumenauer recommended to the White House that
Brown attend the summit because United Streetcar
will build the cars for the Portland streetcar
loop project, which is estimated to create 1,500
jobs. Additionally, United Streetcar is credited
for building the first American made Streetcar
in 58 years. Below, Brown shares her unique experience:
"It
was my great honor to be one of only approximately 120
people across the United States to be invited to attend
President Obama's Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth on
Thursday, December 3, 2009 in the White House.
I
flew to Washington DC on Wednesday, December 2. Upon landing,
I found that I had been invited to a Job Summit Working
Breakfast in the White House the next morning. The breakfast
was hosted by Carol Browner, energy czar and coordinator
of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change
Policy, and her office. It was a small gathering, and
I felt privileged to attend.
Following
the breakfast, I had a short break before heading back
to the White House for the official summit. Opening remarks
to the entire group were made by Secretary of Labor Hilda
Solis, Vice President Biden and President Obama. I then
participated in a smaller break-out session entitled "Creating
Jobs through the Rebuilding of America's Infrastructure,"
moderated by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and
Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget
Peter Orszag.
I
had the pleasure of meeting Secretary LaHood in Portland
on July 1, 2009 when he helped us commemorate the unveiling
of our first streetcar. It was nice to see a familiar
face. The break-out session was extremely insightful,
and I was able to speak about the importance of federal
government becoming a partner with cities across the United
States in order to implement new streetcar lines. I spoke
specifically of the Portland line, and the ability of
the city to leverage federal funds with private investor
monies many times over as well as our commitment to green
manufacturing jobs!
During
the closing session, I was fortunate enough to be called
upon by the President himself and was able to discuss streetcars,
wave energy and job creation in the manufacturing industry,
among other things. President Obama replied he was looking
forward to riding our streetcar, to which I enthusiastically
told him, "Anytime, Sir!""
4.
Central Precinct's new Commander
Commander
Dave Famous, formerly assigned to internal affairs,
took on his new role at the Central Precinct
in December, replacing Commander Mike Reese.
Reese, who was a critical partner for the Alliance,
transferred from Central Precinct to East Precinct.
Commander
Reese worked successfully with Clean & Safe,
the Downtown Public Safety Action Committee,
the Downtown Security Network, the Downtown
and Old Town-Chinatown Neighborhood Associations,
and the Central Eastside Industrial Committee.
He helped to accomplish a reduction in the crime
rate and car prowls downtown, and he also helped
bring back the popular Mounted Patrol Unit.
The
Alliance looks forward to working closely with
Commander Famous to continue supporting a safe
environment downtown and throughout Portland.
5.
Alliance, 12 other organizations urge Fish
to keep anti-camping ordinance intact
Commissioner
Fish is in the process of negotiating a settlement
in the federal lawsuit challenging the city's
anti-camping ordinance. In mid-December, 13
organizations representing both neighborhoods
and business groups sent a letter to Portland
City Commissioner Nick Fish regarding the
city camping ordinance. The letter expressed
support for the city's 10-year Plan to End
Homelessness but proposed that the camping
ordinance should remain intact. However, if
Commissioner Fish and the council feel the
city would be better served by settling, the
letter cites a number of important factors
that should be included in the settlement.
Some
of the factors that the letter outlined were:
-
Concern
for public safety, facility access and ease of transportation
with regards to camping on sidewalks, parks and public
lands;
-
Interest
in the option of allowing social service providers such
as churches to allow camping on their land and provide
facilities such as toilets;
-
Various
enforcement rules and laws with regards to trespassing,
tent cities and camping times; and
-
Camping
options should be temporary and reviewed on a regular
basis as new facilities, such as the Resource Access Center,
are made available for individuals experiencing homelessness.
The
letter was signed by a number of organizations, including:
-
Central
Eastside Industrial Council
-
Downtown
Public Safety Action Committee
-
Downtown
Retail Council
-
Lloyd
district Business Improvement District
-
New
Avenues for Youth
-
Nob
Hill Business Association
-
Old
Town-Chinatown business Association
-
Old
Town-Chinatown Neighborhood Association
-
Portland
Business Alliance
-
Portland
Downtown Services, Inc./Clean & Safe
-
Travel
Portland
-
University
of Oregon
-
Venerable
Properties
Commissioner
Fish will be working with the city's attorney's office to
come to an agreement with the plaintiff so the case can
be settled prior to trial. An agreement should be reached
in January.
6.
Alliance
weighs in on the Portland River Plan
On
December 16, Bernie Bottomly, the Alliance's VP
of Government Relations and Economic Development,
testified at a North Reach Town Hall meeting about
the city's draft River Plan. While the Alliance
supports the enhancement of the environmental characteristics
of the Portland Harbor, "there must be a balance
between that enhancement and investment in harbor
businesses," said Bottomly.
The
testimony outlined concerns that the draft River
Plan does not support current economic and land
use policy in these ways:
-
It
makes it significantly more expensive and bureaucratically
burdensome to redevelop in the harbor, which runs counter
to the regional land use strategy that stipulates redevelopment
of urban areas.
-
It
makes it more difficult to remediate brownfields in the
harbor, which runs counter to the Harbor ReDi effort.
-
It
makes investment in Harbor business more expensive and
difficult and hampers the goals of the current economic
development strategy, which calls for the creation of
10,000 jobs in five years.
Testimony
from the business community regarding these issues
and conflicts has made an impact with the city and
therefore, no final decision on the River Plan will
be made at this time. On January 28, there will
be another council hearing, and more businesses
will testify. Portland City Council will then take
into consideration the business community's concerns
and move forward with possible amendments to the
plan.
DOWNTOWN
SERVICES
7.
40 artists, designers make pop-up shops a big success
 |
|
Workroom
719, formerly Located at 719 SW Morrison St., showcased
six artists and designers.
|
Pop-up
shops Flurry, Workroom 719, ByOregon and Egg Press closed
their doors on December 31, after a successful holiday shopping
season. The shops were open for 6 weeks, showcased over
40 artists and designers, and sold approximately $80,000
in merchandise. Through running the pop-ups, designers and
artists gained experience with operating a business and
selling directly to consumers in the core retail district
of downtown.
For
Rachel Ancliffe, a designer from Workroom 719, the pop-up
shop was about experimenting with the collaboration of the
different designers who sold their merchandise and designed
art in the store. Rachel was excited about the unique idea
of combining a clothing boutique with an artist gallery.
"For
me, it's been really successful," Ancliffe said. "I've loved
collaborating with people and being able to talk to consumers
and get feedback on my own line, direct response is really
exciting."
Ancliffe
explained that Workroom 719 customers were excited about
the pop-up concept and the active element of artists designing
in the space. She also said that all the public entities
involved were easy to work with.
"The
Portland Development Commission, the Portland Business Alliance,
Vizwerks and everyone else involved have been amazingly
helpful," Ancliffe said. "It's been rewarding to create
connections so I can possibly do this again."
The
Alliance will work to help open more pop-up shops throughout
the year, and for next year's holiday shopping. Stay tuned!
8.
Holiday marketing program supports retailers
Holiday
enhancement downtown was a success! Additional lighting
around tree trunks and small fir trees in cedar boxes created
a festive holiday feeling downtown. Lights are currently
being removed from tree trunks, but lights will stay on
in the tree canopies through March. The small fir trees
will be donated to local non-profit organizations for planting,
and the cedar boxes will be stored for future use.
The
Downtown Marketing Initiative's holiday marketing strategy
was successful. The strategy included a new tag line, television
ads, a print ad, an updated Web site, downtown deals such
as the American Express spend $50 get $50, street performers
and the 'Tis Downtown Portland signage and bag tag program.
The
Alliance is already working on plans for the 2010 holiday
season, with the goal to expand the holiday programs in
the coming year.
Back
to the top
9.
Central City Concern receives grant for treatment and counseling
facility
A
grant of approximately $9 million will provide Central City
Concern (CCC) with a new facility and create more than 100
jobs in Portland. The grant is funded by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, and CCC is the only Oregon recipient
to receive part of the $600 million slated for community
health center improvements nationwide.
President
Obama made the announcement at an event in Washington, D.C.
on December 9. CCC's Executive Director, Ed Blackburn, attended
the event and expressed his appreciation to be among the
recipients, as there were over 600 applicants for grants.
Congressman David Wu and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley also
expressed their enthusiasm for CCC's work in the community
and the jobs that will be created during the facility's
construction.
The
new facility will be located at NW Burnside and Broadway,
where there is currently a vacant Burger King, adjacent
to CCC's Old Town Clinic. Construction will utilize green
building practices, accommodate vertical expansion in the
future and take approximately two years.
CCC
currently assists more than 13,000 individuals in Portland
with health, recovery, employment and affordable housing
services. The new facility will serve approximately 1,350
additional individuals per year. The Alliance partners with
CCC on the Homeless-to-Work program in downtown Portland,
which provides cleaning services funded by downtown Portland
property owners.
For
more about Central City Concern, visit www.centralcityconcern.org.
MEMBERSHIP
SERVICES
10.
Leadership Portland participants develop community impact
projects
Leadership
Portland's class of 2010 recently completed the outline
of their community impact projects and are starting to put
their ideas into action. Projects range from economic development
and nutrition in schools to support for the arts and literacy.
More about their work with area nonprofits to be shared
in future issues.
Participants
have also completed three of their program days, focusing
on law, justice and public safety, power and influence and
most recently, the arts. Upcoming program days include a
focus on education in which the class will tour a variety
of public schools, hear from the Portland Public Schools
Superintendent and two higher education presidents.
If
the community impact projects and program days sound like
something for you or one of your colleagues, applications
for next year's class are now available on the Alliance
Web site at www.portlandalliance.com/lp.
11.
Membership Survey: Fill out today and win JetBlue tickets!
The annual
member survey was sent out via email on January 4. Those that
submit a completed survey (along with their contact information)
will be entered to win two tickets on JetBlue Airlines!
Responses must be submitted by Friday, January 15. If you
or someone from your company has not already completed the
survey, please do so by clicking on the link below.
Take
the survey >>
Back
to the top
MEMBER
NEWS
12.
Nel Centro launches new Happy Hour
 |
|
Nel
Centro barkeep Michael Kelsall,
the Happy Hour mixmaster.
|
Located
in the Hotel Modera at 1408 SW Sixth Avenue, Nel Centro serves
classic Italian dishes often made from locally sourced, seasonal
ingredients. Enjoy Nel Centro during the new Happy Hour from
4-6 pm daily. Local microbrews are $4, well drinks and house
wines are $5, and the delicious happy hour food, including
unique pizzas, is only $6 or less. View
Nel Centro's new Happy Hour menu >>
Back
to the top
13.
Employment Law and Legislative Update event with Vigilant
Employment
laws at the state and federal level continue to change and
many more potential employment laws are on the horizon in
2010. Join Vigilant (formerly TOC management services) for
an employment law and legislative update on February 9 from
3:30 - 5 pm. Following the presentation, there will be drinks
and appetizers from 5 - 6 pm in honor of Vigilant's 50th year
in business. The event will be held at 6825 SW Sandburg St.
Tigard, OR 97223. The event is limited to 100 attendees, Please
RSVP by 1/30/2010 with Karen Cone: kc.cone@vigilantcounsel.org.
Back
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14.
Raz Transportation / Gray Line of Portland to offer transportation
to Timberline Lodge
On January
4, Raz Transportation started service to Timberline Lodge
and Ski Resort on Mt. Hood. Also called the Gray Line, this
transportation service will provide visitors and residents
a safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly alternative
to driving. The Gray Line is available Monday through Friday,
and will arrive at Timberline around 9:30 am and depart at
4:00 pm each day. For more information, click here.
Back
to the top
15.
Signs Now Northwest co-owner elected Treasurer for Dress for
Success Oregon
Kristin
Trevino, co-owner of Signs Now Northwest, has been on the
board of Dress for Success Oregon for three years. In December,
Trevino was elected to the position of Treasurer for the nonprofit,
which provides career assistance to low income women. For
10 years, Dress For Success has helped thousands of women
enter the workforce by providing professional attire, and
career services and development tools. For more on Dress for
Success Oregon, click
here. For more on Signs Now Northwest, visit www.signsnowNW.com.
Back
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16.
Eco Drycleaner now offers shoe services
Eco Drycleaner
is now offering shoe shining and repair services along with
their non-toxic dry cleaning services. Eco Drycleaner provides
free pick-up and delivery services to offices on Mondays and
Thursdays, along with a 15 percent discount. To sign up, click
here. For more information, visit www.ecodrycleaner.com.
Back
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17.
Upcoming Meetings
January
12, Communications Committee, 9:30 a.m.
January 12, Transportation Committee, noon
January
27, Government Relations Committee, 4 p.m.
January 13, Sustainability Committee, 7:30 a.m.
January 15, President's Council, noon
January 19, Central City Standing Committee, noon
January
20, Small Business Council, 4 p.m.
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