Well if one banker say so, it must be true. Does that mean if I find one scientist, and a really good one at that, that says man made global warming is bunk, you will consider it to be true as well.

The fact is that most businesses have leases. They can be short term to long term holds on a business. If our unemployment stays at one of the highest in the country, I doubt we will ever really know what impact 66/67 had.

MP, we actually should have a pretty reliable way of knowing the impact in the case of individuals: comparison of tax return filings by high income individuals in 2008 and thereafter. When individuals move out of the state, they won't be filing Oregon Form 40 anymore.

Thank you Bob.

There is generally a way to verify predictions if one looks hard enough.

That is, for those who value data over theory.

I wish it was so easy with businesses.

First M66/M67 wasn't "Tax Fairness" regardless how many times Carla tries to call it so. Second, the losses will come primarily from start-ups that start up elsewhere, expansions that expand elsewhere and moves that move elsewhere. Some will leave. Some already have. Some businesses will not hire or will lay off.

The look of consternation and bewilderment about 5-7 years from now will match those last week in state government who could not understand how banning smoking from bars could have been pivotal in the 20% downturn in state lottery revenue. Simply stunning. Cause and effect rules rarely change.

"the sky isn't falling,"

You do realize this situation is like a landlord raising rents who celebrates the fact that at least he's got the same old tenants because the smarter ones have found better accomodations?

A better comaparison might be telling us about all the employers who are coming here because of M66/67 and how much greater are schools are because of it.

"a mass exodus of business from Oregon is going to happen."

Well, a mass exodus of business TO Oregon isn't going to happen because of M66/67. You must not be aware of Oregon's unemployment rate. Still waiting for you to inform us of the next big job expansion to happen here becuase of M66/67.

Were M66/67 designed to attract business? Using that criterion seems like criticizing the Big Pipe project for not bringing down OHSU tram fares.

carla, there is a call center operation in the Rogue Valley with 125 jobs that has announced they are leaving the state. Sorry but I don't remember their name.

Pat, I appreciate your not so tongue in cheek returns. Yes, like CA we in OR have created a bulging state government that we can not afford. the only difference is CA will go Chapter 13 before we do.

Kurt, unless you can provide the name of the business, how much more they're paying under 66 and 67, and how much they're paying in whatever state they're moving to, you can cram it with walnuts.

Normally I don't respond to idiots who refuse to use their name, but I made an exception for you Megaton.

The company is ComNet Marketing Group an employee owned company (ESOP) with about 125-150 employees in the Rogue Valley. Not soon after the passage of M66/M67 they announced plans to move out of state. I didn't think much of it at the time, but the story got picked up and repeated in recent weeks in both the Bend Bulletin and Oregonian.

The company was going to expand into Grants Pass. Instead they are looking into northern Nevada. Lower taxes, lower minium wage, no 1% tax on health insurance, etc, etc, etc,

So, all the employee owners want to move to Nevada?

No, but the founders do. They have scrapped plans for any expansion in Oregon and are now expanding in Nevada. As attrition is backfilled it will be in Nevada, not the Rogue Valley. The founders will move there, as will the executives. According to the company they plan on being out of Oregon in 3-5 years.

"Whether it's "because" of 66/67 or not, there are businesses locating in Oregon."

How impressive - Baristas, wings servers and store clerks. At least we'll keep all the low-income housing places filled.

Now what jobs are you going to tell the college graduates going to Cali will be created here because of M66/67?

cram it with walnuts.

You can tell megaton of BS isn't local either. An Oregonian would have said "hazelnuts".

The company is ComNet Marketing Group

Good riddance! This country is rife with fraud. It undercuts everything we do. People don't march in the streets at Wall Street corruptions because they engage in it to some extent too. You know how many jobs in this country don't involve committing fraud? Not many. ANY Marketing Group leaving- I don't care if it is viper owned- reflects on our character more than the economy. I'll bet a lot of drug dealers and pimps left Detroit in the early '80s. That's not a loss of jobs. THat's the usual parasites flowing to where the next blood meal is.

Wait, You have no real personal info that 66/67 are having an effect, so you assume there is no effect? You assume we all can pay an extra $766 million and that will actually have a positive effect on business? Are you on crack? Maybe you can give us all the reasons why anyone would open a C corp now in Oregon? Maybe you could actually go get the data? What about the term "less money" is hard for your to understand? Do you all work for the govt and have PERS accounts? If so then I would understand why you would not understand anything about this economic slowdown.

"Maybe you can give us all the reasons why anyone would open a C corp now in Oregon?"

Uhhhh, because it's still cheaper than 45 other states in America?

Oh, and the Mail Tribune editorial board (which strongly opposed 66 & 67) called BS on ComNet's claims: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100214/OPINION/2140305

"So, if the company had sales of $6.5 million and the CEO made $500,000, the total bill in the first year would be $10,750 if the CEO is a single filer, $8,500 if he files a joint return. In three years, that would drop to $7,375 or $6,250, respectively.

The truth is, it probably would cost more for the moving vans than for the new taxes. The cost to the company resulting from the disruption, loss of experienced employees, capital costs, expenses for setting up in a new site and more would exceed what the company and its chief would pay in taxes for years, maybe decades, to come."

"There clearly is a lot of residual anger over the passage of the measures, and if a business like ComNet wants to make an emphatic statement on the decision, leaving the state will accomplish that. But that's really a political or philosophical decision, not a financial one.

And there are those in the state trying to make as much political mileage out of this as possible. Some, including elected officials, should know better. They may not have liked the voters' decision, but piling on the state with misleading information will serve only to inflict harm on the state, its communities and the politicians' own constituents.

If ComNet needs to leave Oregon to make a statement, that's the company's right. But if it and other companies say they're leaving for financial reasons, it just doesn't add up."

The conservative rhetoric leads to these conclusions: The economy would be great if taxes on business were zero. All higher levels of taxation lead to job loss.

Where is the conservative connection to reality?

No need to be rude Megatron.

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Your wall mounted coat rack choice

No the sky has already fallen

<h2>"The Portland area ranked No. 6 in the country in the fourth quarter for commercial bankruptcy filings, according to a new report. The rest of the state ranked No. 12."</h2>