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Government Affairs 2016


  • October 18, 2016 11:20 AM | Deleted user


    The East Portland Chamber of Commerce (EPCC) is pleased to announce our support for the historic Yes for Affordable Homes campaign to create homes for Portlanders who are in the greatest need in this housing crisis. This $258.4 million affordable housing bond will create permanently affordable housing for tens of thousands of people over the life of the homes, and marks the first time that Portlanders will be able to vote in support of affordable housing. We write today to ask you—one of our key supporters—to join this critical and momentous campaign.

    The mission of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce is to provide a voice for members and businesses on the Eastside. Our work has been increasingly challenged by the housing crisis that rages in our region. With Portland one-bedroom apartments renting at an average of $1,400, so many hardworking families can’t keep up and can’t find homes they can afford. Too many Portlanders are suffering in our communities, in shelters, in parking lots, and under our bridges because Portland very simply lacks enough affordable homes for those who need them most.

    That’s why the success of this first ever ballot measure for affordable homes is important to the well-being of the city we love and it’s why EPCC supports it. When you vote Yes for Affordable Homes on November 8, you’ll be and building a better Portland for all.

    Please join us and lend your support to Yes For Affordable Homes. Sign up to learn more and get involved at yesforaffordablehomes.com

    After all, home is where it all begins. It’s where we set out each day fresh and rested. It’s where we started out on our educational, professional and personal paths. It’s where we begin and grow our families. Everyone needs a safe and stable start to each and every day. Together, we can make Portland a place everyone can afford to call home.

  • October 18, 2016 11:18 AM | Deleted user

    The East Portland Chamber of Commerce strongly opposes Measure 97 because the facts are clear – it is a $6 billion back door sales tax would harm Oregon consumers and small businesses with no guarantee the money would go to education or anything else.

    We’re urging you to vote NO on Measure 97 and to spread the word to others.

    Measure 97 is a tax on total sales – not profits – that would increase consumer costs for all types of products and services. It has no exemptions – most costs would be passed on to Oregon consumers and small businesses through higher prices for everything from food, clothing, gasoline, utilities, cars and housing to phone service, insurance, medicine and healthcare.

    The nonpartisan Legislative Revenue Office concluded Measure 97 would increase costs for a typical family by $600 per year, and that it would especially hurt low- and middle-income families and seniors who can least afford it.

    Measure 97 would cause the loss of 38,000 local jobs, according to the State of Oregon’s study.

    And, as we wrote above, there would be no guarantee that the money would go to education, healthcare or seniors. The Legislature’s own top legal authority has stated the Legislature could spend the money “in any way it chooses.”

    Ballots will be arriving next week. Now is the time for us to be actively involved to help defeat Measure 97.

    The NO on 97 campaign has resources you can share, such as:

    • Breakroom posters
    • Easy-to-customize emails, website content and social media
    • Store, lawn and road signs
    • Bumper stickers, lapel stickers, window signs
    • Fact sheets
    • And much more

    Contact the campaign at info@defeat97.com to request materials and a member of their team will get them to you right away.

    Visit www.NOon97.com and learn why the East Portland Chamber of Commerce has joined the coalition of more than 26,000 Oregon consumers, small businesses, family farmers, healthcare professionals, educators, community leaders and organizations from every part of the state in urging you to vote NO on Measure 97 this November. 


  • January 28, 2016 9:30 AM | Anonymous
    The first Government and Economic Affairs meeting of the year was January 13 with a well received presentation by Christian Kaylor, a state of Oregon economist specializing in the Portland area. He discussed jobs, population growth, wages and compared Portland to other cities around the nation. Portland ranks #10 in wage growth in a list of the 50 largest cities. We experienced a 3.3% wage growth and continued a trend that has added over 131,000 jobs in the past 5 years. Cities with high tech industries tend to have higher wages and more growth. Portland did benefit from the number of software companies in the area. When you look at the average wages, Portland is seeing growth. However the picture is much different when the jobs are separated into three different categories. Christian showed a clear picture of the growth of high paying jobs, a good growth in low paying jobs but no growth in the “Middle Class”, middle wage jobs. This phenomenon helps explain why food stamps and social services are increasing, even though the “average” is looking better. Another point that the data demonstrated is that Multnomah county is outpacing job growth of neighboring counties by a significant amount. More people are choosing to move to Multnomah county and work in Portland than Washington County and Clackamas County combined over the past two years. We also saw data that showed average wages highest in downtown Portland and dropping as you look further east, with Gresham having the lowest average wages in the region. This was an informative and entertaining presentation about the economic facts in our region. Kaylor has the ability to demonstrate his excitement over the data and explain what it means, and mix it with humor and experience.

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