Opinion: Oregon’s Business Exodus Was Inevitable After Years of Policy Failure

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Over the past decade, Oregon has earned a reputation—one not built on innovation or resilience, but on slow decline. What began as subtle warning signs has become a full-blown unraveling of the state’s economic foundation.

From Portland’s empty storefronts to shuttered mills in rural counties, the symptoms are now impossible to ignore. Oregon isn’t collapsing because its people stopped working hard. It’s collapsing because policy after policy, year after year, has made it harder to build, invest, hire, and stay.

The tipping point? We’re living in it.

A Decade of Disincentives

The 2010s began with optimism. Oregon’s tech sector was rising, tourism was booming, and new businesses

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