June 03, 2003
The Complicated Migratory Patterns of a Strained Economy
On the one hand, according to The Oregonian, the state is retaining residents (at least in terms of numbers) despite the economy:
A lot more people want to live in Oregon than leave it, according to the latest driver's license records.
Sure, 54,467 people showed us their taillights in 2002, turning in their licenses as they left. But 66,103 moved in and traded out-of-state licenses for Oregon credentials.
...
The records show a drop in the number of newcomers, from 73,768 in 2001, perhaps reflecting the state's poor economy. But the drop was more than made up by larger numbers of Oregonians deciding to stay put.
"It looks like the exodus has leveled off," [David House, spokesman for the state Driver and Motor Vehicle Services] said.
Those leaving are mainly heading to Washington, and those arriving are mainly coming from California.
Meanwhile, the city of Bend is trying to lure tax-wary businesses from Portland:
Callers to the Bend Chamber of Commerce have inquired about moving out of Portland as they look for a new place to do business. Both cities have unemployment rates of 8.1 percent.
On Sunday, the chamber paid $3,400 to run an ad in The Oregonian, announcing "Central Oregon is Open for Business." It is the first time the chamber has run such an ad in Portland.
By Monday, about 10 Portland businesses had responded to the ad, said chamber President Gary J. Peters.
Expect to see the likes of Don McIntyre of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon (or perhaps even someone from the Portland Business Alliance) make some hay out of this along the way. Of course, the one advantage to businesses moving to Bend is that they won't be moving out of the state, which Bend officials say is their main concern.