Oregon's hostage crisis-Nike takes key provision off the table

Carla Axtman

Our legislators have been summoned to Salem to give the governor the authority to negotiate a special tax guarantee for Nike in exchange for jobs and capital investment.

Or maybe not.

Jonathan Cooper, Associated Press:

In the first of two public hearings the bill will get, legislators overseeing tax policy wrestled with a number of questions Thursday: How long should the deal last? Should companies other than Nike be eligible for similar agreements? Should the new jobs be required to have high wages or specific benefits?

"This is about prudent governance. The elected members of the Legislature should have adequate time before casting a final vote on this bill," said John Calhoun of Equity Alliance Oregon, a left-leaning business group. He suggested delaying a decision until January.

Nike took one potential change off the table. The company opposes being required to retain the 500 jobs it's promising to create in exchange for the tax guarantee, said Bill Gary, a lawyer and lobbyist for the company. He didn't say why.

So no guarantee from Nike that these are permanent jobs. A very "special session" indeed.

I'm now officially confused as to why we're bending over backwards for these guys.

By Carla Axtman Dec. 14, 2012