By Alyssa Williams, BIZ Reporter, The Oregon House Committee on Environment and Water voted to drop wine and liquor bottles last Thursday from the potential amendments to House Bill 2184 which would expand the almost 40-year-old Oregon Bottle Bill, Oregon’s beverage container return law. It was also decided to increase […]

By Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting, Housing Starts Weak Despite the Headlines.  The Wall Street Journal says, “Surprise Jump in Housing Starts.” Yahoo Finance says, “Housing Starts Surge Unexpectedly.” So let’s look at the data (Chart on Right): The uptick doesn’t seem to match the headlines.  We’ve seen a few […]

Oregon-Based Plastics Recycler First in Nation to Reclaim Synthetic Crude Oil from Unwanted Plastic. Agri-Plas ships first batches of crude oil to refinery BROOKS, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In the latest showing of Oregon’s entrepreneurial and environmental prowess, Agri-Plas, an Oregon-based plastics recycler, is the first company in the nation to convert unwanted […]

Oregon Association of Hospitals & Health Systems, Press Release, The Facts: Oregon’s uninsured population is at least 632,000 and hospitals and health insurance plans are committed to expanding health coverage. The following is a summary of a model proposed by health care stakeholders to raise revenue necessary to expand coverage […]

By Ken Niezgoda, BIZ Reporter, Seventy percent of all jobs lost last year in Oregon were lost in the last quarter, and the state will continue to lose jobs in nearly all industries throughout 2009, according to Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast released by the Department of Administrative Services Office […]

José Pinomesa, President Oregon Independent Auto Dealers Association Gas prices are just under half of the all time high and hybrid vehicles are still not selling as fast as they use to.  The summer of 2008 was a time that I will never forget.  Hybrid vehicles brought the most money […]

By John Ledger Associated Oregon industries “Open Season” bill encourages lawsuits against agriculture, businesses, and forestry – local government immune.A late breaking bill in the Senate Judiciary committee, SB 962, would allow any person “adversely affected” by a “violation of a state environmental law (or any permit), or by the […]

By Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting Last week the market (as measured by the S&P 500) rose 10 percent.  Ten percent is a decent gain for an entire year.  (Yes, I know that we have some losses to make up, but that’s not the point).  The lesson from Mr. Market […]

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) issued this statement about allegations made by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “The NAACP’s allegations are totally unfounded and reckless. We have never tolerated, and will never tolerate, discrimination in any way, shape or form in any of our business […]

By Barran Liebman, Electronic Alerts The EEOC issued proposed rules today that would implement Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (“GINA”), which prohibits the use of genetic information in employment decisions and extends Title VII-type protections to applicants, employees, and former employees with respect to genetic […]