08/01/2025
To my Oregon friends and family. This message was written by my friend and former colleague Representative Shelly Boshart Davis.
It’s spot on.
“When will it end?
We are watching our state unravel one closure at a time—not because people stopped trying, but because Democrat-led policy decisions have made it nearly impossible to build, grow, or even survive here. 2025 has been a tipping point. Businesses are leaving. Jobs are disappearing. Communities are losing hope.
Here’s just a portion of what we’ve seen recently (try to keep up):
❌Dutch Bros, one of Oregon’s biggest home-grown success stories, is relocating its headquarters out of the state. Let that sink in. If even Dutch Bros leaves, what message does that send to other entrepreneurs?
❌Jeld-Wen, a large window and door manufacturer in Klamath Falls, is shutting its doors.
❌The Portland glass manufacturing, Owens Brockway, closed after nearly 70 years—90 people lost their livelihoods.
❌Tektronix, once the state’s largest employer, is moving its headquarters to North Carolina.
❌Adobe abandoned its Portland office, and Keen Footwear shuttered its Swan Island factory.
❌Prineville door manufacturer, Owens Corning, is laying off 184 workers.
❌REI and Target have shuttered locations across Oregon, with theft, regulation, and declining safety cited as major factors.
❌In Salem, Macy’s and Office Depot have packed up along with local restaurants – all within six months.
❌Now Nordstrom’s CEO is publicly questioning how long they can stay open in Portland.
❌ In rural Oregon, our timber towns are reeling. Mills are closing, and the once-strong foundation of our resource economy is being regulated and taxed to death.
And now? More taxes.
Salem’s transit authority, Cherriots, is proposing a payroll tax—a direct hit on local businesses—on top of all this. Instead of breathing room, we’re giving employers more reason to leave. That’s how the doom loop works: Bad policies cause people to lose jobs, businesses leave, public services degrade, and working families get stuck.
We’re not just losing stores—we’re losing hope. Losing confidence that Oregon is a place where you can thrive, grow a business, raise a family, or retire in peace.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t fate. It’s failure.
Policy choices led us here—but better leadership can turn us around.
It’s time to fight for an Oregon that rewards work, encourages innovation, and keeps our best and brightest right here at home.”
I’m sorry but I don’t have much hope for my former beloved state. I weep for Oregonians.
PS: If my health had been better and I hadn’t nearly died from stress and my doctor advised me to retire…..I would have run for Governor in 2022 and I would have won. Christine Drazan had the perfect set up with Betsy Johnson splitting the vote. She was not a good candidate. I would have slaughtered Kotek with my wit and strong conservative credentials. Just saying.
