July 4th - the day of the Declaration of Independence. Remember, ‘taxation without representation’ was a cry then that may apply today as well. Nobody then would have dreamed of carbon taxes by executive order, but they did foresee taxation without representation. What grassroots and patriotism looked like in 1776:

• Five legislative signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
• Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
• Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
• Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

The Boston Tea Party and the Coercive Acts galvanized the colonists, leading to the First Continental Congress in 1774. The Boston Tea Party was a protest against British taxation and tyranny, and it helped to formulate a larger movement of the colonists in their fight for independence that culminated in the Declaration of Independence.

As with the Boston Tea Party, it seems the ‘prized’ tea is being thrown overboard, but does Oregon have an Independence Day coming?

The Oregonian reported that Oregon’s exports dropped by more than $6 billion last year, an astonishing 20% plunge that wiped out two years of historic gains. Even though 2023 saw a decrease, Oregon goods exports were $27.7 billion, it was an increase of 49 percent ($9.3 billion) from its export level in 2012. So why the decrease? “Consumers are pulling back. You see that translated into the export numbers, for sure,” said Damon Runberg, economist with Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. Then how can Oregon’s revenue forecast for government spending be up if consumer spending is down?

Runberg says there is reason to be optimistic with the development of Oregon’s semiconductor industry. Intel is planning a multibillion-dollar expansion along with other chip companies also set to expand. But, will Oregon voters crush this industry with a proposed 3% gross receipts tax if IP 17 passes in November?

An indication the consumers are pulling back, the Oregonian reports that Nike shares fell 20% as the latest sign of severe turbulence at Oregon’s biggest company. Nike claims it has anticipated a drop in annual sales, thanks to competition from newer competitors, are now worrying investors. Nike stock had its worst day on record losing $28 billion. With a 20% drop in Oregon exports, and Nike losing $28 billion, just what does Oregon’s government revenue forecast interpretation by Democrat politicians mean by Oregonians are doing better than ever? Nike is projecting they will regain the market lose by 2030 based on the past 10 years of the stock’s average growth record. But should a state rely on a high risk forecast?

Oregon is also hit by the Biden Administration banning exports by an Oregon freight-forwarder, USGoBuy, as a warning shot to the industry. The Wall Street Journal reports that an Oregon freight-forwarder was hit with an export ban in what officials said was a warning to companies to heed restrictions on the shipment of sensitive technologies to countries the U.S. considers threats to national security. USGoBuy is placed under a three-year export ban after an audit turned up 176 violations to a settlement over riflescopes the company shipped to China and the emirates.

It isn't just exports dragging Oregon's economy down. The Biden administration has announced a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) that are carbon-reducing and net zero, as part of a broader effort to protect US manufacturers and jobs. This move is intended to prevent a flood of low-cost, heavily subsidized EVs from China from entering the US market. The tariff is expected to increase the cost of Chinese-made EVs in the US market, making U.S. EVs more competitive with foreign-made EVs. Have they not read that several major automakers, including General Motors, Ford, and Tesla, have announced plans to scale back or delay their EV production goals?

How will this affect Oregon? Tariffs are usually retaliatory and China is by far Oregon’s largest export partner, with sales in 2021 totaling $10.6 billion, a third of all the state’s exports.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Senator Brian Boquist (R-Polk and Treasurer candidate) stated, "As young Oregon voters look at government inflation they know whom to blame. Young Oregonians know why they cannot afford a house. Young Oregonians know the definition of indentured servitude. If there is a November election, and if there is not a major change, then the economy will drive the Millennial Revelation into high speed collision with the debt ridden failing government police state and corporate oligarchs. This is a recipe for change none of us should want, let alone would a State Senator like myself even survive, as all of present government officials will be swept away, if history is a lesson."

America is still on its First Republic. On July 7th, the Fifth Republic of France will hold elections. Revisionists have repeated “Democracy” so many times that America is being pulled away from its Republic. Will millennials and younger voters bring us back to our first love or form the Second American Republic?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-04 08:46:41

Last Update: 2024-07-04 19:51:17