Should the City of Portland spend public funds on recruiting businesses to the area?
Some community members believe that the City should take an active role in recruiting different types of businesses to the Portland area. They believe this is necessary in order to create a more diversified local economy, to provide additional job opportunities to local residents and to reduce Portlands reliance on products made elsewhere. While some of these people have a strong preference for which types of businesses Portland should recruit (for example, only those that pay living wages, or those that are part of the sustainable industries cluster), all favor an active, engaged approach on the part of the City. However, another large group of people feels that the City should not spend public funds on business recruitment. These individuals strongly believe that Portland should focus its public funds on making the City a livable place (good schools, clean environment, etc.) and on supporting home-grown businesses and industries. They contend that if Portland creates a successful env
