Portland Business Alliance, Commissioner Sam Adams

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Among the bailout ideas popping up for Portland schools like spring crocuses is a Roguish notion from the folks at the Portland Business Alliance that's got Commissioner Sam Adams cheering them on.

Last week, PBA chairman Scott Andrews offered to pony up $9 million for schools by agreeing to extend an otherwise-expiring 3-year-old surcharge on the license fee that businesses pay the city.

But even a $9 million gift horse should get looked in the mouth.

PBA support for extending the surcharge over two years depends on the City Council agreeing to increase the personal deduction business owners can take on their license fee. The proposed increase of the deduction from $60,000 to $125,000 is similar to what Adams proposed, unsuccessfully, last spring.

According to the city's Office of Management and Finance, that increase in the deduction would cost the city up to $5 million per year.

Thus, the PBA offers up to $9 million over the next two years for schools, but demands the city give up as much as $10 million of tax revenue in exchange, and presumably another $5 mil or so every subsequent year. Talk about the gift that keeps giving.

The PBA's argument that doubling the deduction will help small business may make sense, but that's a separate debate from what should be done to raise money for schools during a crisis.

Commissioner Erik Sten calls the PBA's offer to support financially strapped schools in exchange for an immediate tax break "a cheap tactic."

As for Adams, he's urging colleagues to approve the increase and lauding business for being "a financial partner" in addressing schools' needs. He tells WW that raising the owner's deduction is long overdue to help small business.

Our suggestion: Buy a calculator.

03.22.2006 at 10:00 Reply

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Portland Business Alliance, Commissioner Sam AdamsMuch like god...he taketh with one hand and giveth with the other hand..pure politician, and that is a bad thing.—KISS

03.24.2006 at 10:00 Reply

Portland Business Alliance, Commissioner Sam AdamsGreat another idiot, who thinks that schools evidently do not need money to operate & educate. Boy, he must have graduated with honors. Myself, I am a product of Batlimore, Maryland & Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas public schools, with a few private ones thrown in, they were all about equal, when it came to education. Though I must say the girls in public school, were alot prettier. I know, lets just do away with the school system altogether, home school all of the children, and turn them loose on the general public. Better yet, lets just hope that they get an education, like most 3rd world countries that I have been in, where most children do not complete schooling past elementary level. This guy is probably the same type of person, who thinks that it is okay for eateries to throw away perfectly good food, even though their are homeless shelters and food banks, that could use it. I bet that when he walks past a homeless family, asking for help, he says "You people just need to go get a job." I know, I know you think all those people in that suffered in the tsunami, the hurricanes, the earthquakes, the floods, the mudslides... It is all their fault, they should just get up and rebuild, why de we need to help them. I sure do hope that one day, you are standing there in need of help, and my company is the responding one, because I will make sure to let the Red Cross know that you do not need them, after you lose your home, because you are a self sufficient man, just like you think schools should be self sufficient. If by chance you are able to pull your head out of your... and read this, feel free to write me. I will make sure to dumb down the correspondence, and use small words, so that you will not feel like your education level is not up to par. hmmmm.... then again, maybe not, obviously you are one of those unappreciated genuises.Engineer FF/EMT Robert ChristianEngine Company 5 P.R.P.F.D.engine5company@hotmail.com"It's a firefighter thing... You better grab the irons!" —Engineer FF/EMT Robert Christian Engine Company 5 PRPFD

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Portland Business Alliance, Commissioner Sam Adams