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 were putting down roots. But while the surface shimmered, state leadership began layering on policies that slowly choked the environment that helped those successes grow…