Let’s start off by stating ‘Progressive’ is a misnomer, i.e. a wrong or inaccurate name or designation.
Legacy media has branded the far left (Social Democrats) as progressive. This implies progress: someone or something moving forward. Obviously, this has positive connotations.
Regressive is the opposite: Someone or something moving backward. This has negative connotations.
The takeaway being progressive forms of government are good while others are bad.
If this is indeed the case, why are “40% – plus of Portland residents…considering moving?” (Oregonian 5/15/26).
The short answer is high taxes. According to Dean Suhr, a lifetime Oregon resident and chief petitioner for Vote Before Tolls Initiative, “Taxes and spending seem to be the standard solution to everything.”
However, this is not limited to Portland or the State of Oregon. Just a few hours north on I-5 Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, the “Western Mamdani” taunts the rich, waving “like, bye,” while lobbing for higher taxes, increased government regulation of housing and less policing.
As a riposte, Starbucks, a Seattle institution for the last 41 years, and the world’s largest coffee retailer, announced it is laying off over 300 employees while planning a $100 million expansion in Nashville, TN. If this isn’t a kiss goodbye, I don’t know what is.
Perhaps Mayor Wilson has Amazon in her cross hairs next, as in “like bye.”
Whether its Seattle, Portland, LA, Chicago, NYC, etc., the socialist messaging is the same, raise taxes, fleece the ‘rich’ and scapegoat the private sector for all the disfunction that comes in the wake of their bad policy decisions.
In most urban areas, half of personal income taxes are paid by the top 2% of city dwellers. (WSJ 5/20/26)
By drilling down even more on these people and vilifying them for their ‘profligate’ lifestyle, Florida and other no tax states beckon.
According to the WSJ, $2 trillion of income moved from blue states to red states from 2012 to 2023. Those people and that money are “Zo Outta Here.” (New York Post 5/7/26).
It is important that income property owners understand this exodus from places like California, Oregon, Washington and New York is accelerating.
With more blue states chasing the chimera of a “millionaires tax” as recently passed in Washington State, this trend shows no indication of abating.
Bringing it back around to Portland, there is a big difference between considering moving and actually leaving the state. However, the level of frustration this reflects with residents across the economic spectrum should be sobering for all income property owners.
If you wish to be more proactive and ‘follow the money,’ DST property ownership is worth considering.
