Interview with State Representative Scott Bruun: By Aaron Crowley,   Scott Bruun is not your typical business owner or Oregon State Representative.   He is one of only a handful of citizen legislators serving in Salem who owns and operates a business enterprise.  This business experience brings a much needed perspective to the capital and the […]

BUSINESS ALERT: Right now, Congress is onsidering raising new taxes, includign tobacco, to help expand the federal SCHIP expansion.   The timing of such new taxes is awful for business.  Currently small businesses are being slammed on all sides!   -Oregon gas prices are among nation’s 10 highest! -Food prices are rising 5% – Utility prices are rising […]

Oregon Small Business Association Board Member, Aaron Crowley spoke at a business advisory breakfast meeting in NE Portland on May 20th.  Crowley commented on how the voice of Oregon’s small businesses needs to be restored to the public debate and discussed data on how small businesses are still teh most common catagory of business in […]

Note: As Portland considers a new mayor, an interview with Small Businessman Steve Gann of Gann Publishing was made to offer guidelines and insight on what that new mayor must do to improve Portland.             The city of Portland seems to be in chaos. Construction cost overruns, crime rampant, traffic congestions, water and sewer lines […]

Defending our cars, our freedom     Saturday, January 26. 2008 By Aaron Crowley, Oregon Small Business Association Of all the symbols of independence in America, the automobile stands out. Nothing else gives a man the ability to take any road or highway to wherever he wants to go, whenever he so desires. The Oregonian apparently has […]

HB 2575 narrowly passed the Oregon House of Representatives which would raise a $35 million tax on Oregon business to pay for a particular family leave insurance fund.   It is a one cent/hour tax on all employees in Oregon.  This would effect over one million Oregonians who work.   Oregon businesses would collect and pay the […]

In March the Oregon Small Business Association mailed out 500 “Small Business Bill of Rights” petitions to Portland businesses.  This has been a special project of Chuck Jones who is on the Portland Small Business Advisory Committee and is a Oregon Small Business Association supporter. Here is our letter: Dear Portland Business, The Portland Small […]

Jim Haynes, Small Business Coordinator for the Oregon Business Roundtable Committee and Oregon Small Business member issued a list of business that have left Oregon that was published in the 2006 voter’s pamphlet statement.  It is called “Oregon’s Big Government is Bad for Business” and has been used frequently.   Here is an excerpt. “Big Problem!  […]

Business Income Tax Terri Williams, Manager Portland Licensing and Tax Division gave a review of the proposed Business Income Tax changes for Portland/Multnomah County. Williams explained various proposals ranging from reduction to elimination of the Business Income Tax.   Williams then took questions from the audience. Schumacher Furs Two security guards detailed how protesters have harassed […]

Dave Lister spoke against the Mayor’s new tax proposal. Lister is a columnist for BrainstormNW Magazine who specializes in Portland business issues.  Lister is also Vice-Chair of the Cost of Doing Business in Portland Work-Group for the Small Business Advisory Council.    Lister explained his own plan to help work for tax reform. Prosperity or Portland […]