Matt's Homepage

In what continues to be multiple waves of layoffs, Intel in Oregon has laid off at least 5,400 jobs since August and estimates are there are now less than 18,000 Oregon Intel employees. That’s a loss of just at 25% of Intel Oregon employees (based on the estimates) in 6 months.

This comes when Oregon’s job situation is lagging nationally and facing steep headwinds. Because Intel is the state’s largest tech employer, and many other local tech firms have left or are also downsizing, it means a lot of these employees are predicted to leave Oregon and cause serious economic repercussions for the local area. This has already alarmed local leaders that are now expecting a quickly eroding tax base.

Even worse, Oregon itself is facing a continuingly downward employment trend. Oregon reported a net 4,300 job losses in June 2025, up more than double the 2,100 jobs lost in May. The only sector in Oregon that grew was 900 jobs in heath care fields.

This is even more pronounced in the Portland area which is now in a multi-year decline. The Portland metro area saw the biggest declines in the whole state with 7,500 jobs lost in May and employment is down about 14,000 since last year. Unemployment has also risen dramatically – it was 3.6% in May 2024 but is now 4.6% in May 2025 – a trend that is expected to get worse for the foreseeable future.

Articles:

• https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2025/07/intels-retreat-is-unlike-anything-its-done-before-in-oregon.html#:~:text=Intel%20has%20eliminated%20at%20least,come%20in%20the%20weeks%20ahead.
• https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2025/07/oregon-sheds-another-4300-jobs-unemployment-rate-creeps-up-again.html
• https://1190kex.iheart.com/featured/portland-local-news/content/2025-07-16-oregon-loses-4300-jobs/#:~:text=After%20averaging%20210%2C600%20jobs%20in,200%20jobs%20since%20June%202022.

Oregon

Donating household items to St Vincent DePaul, Goodwill or other groups is good, but they don’t come pick up furnature. It turns out the Vietnam Veterans of America will send a truck out to help pick up donations.

I’ve never used them, but this could be a good option if you have an estate you need to clean out.

There’s a lot of strange people in the Portland activist culture. Portland is increasingly seeing more and more radical and violent elements becoming influential at public rallies, protests, and labor events. Yet nobody in the local media seems interested in looking deeper. When they do, many times they find disturbing facts.

This isn’t academic, these leaders appear from nowhere and are doing lots of damage. One example is the recent teachers union strikes which turned into a complete disaster for the teachers. The union leadership, after pushing strong pro-Palestinian messaging during the negotiations and holding loud public demonstration protests, later found out the offers they had been given by the state were – in fact – the best deals they could negotiate. The activist leadership used the teacher’s union as a public platform for their personal pro-Palestinian rhetoric. It was a huge loss and embarrassment for the union – yet none of the leaders apologized.

At least a few people seem to be digging in. Here’s an article on Olivia Katbi present at rallies for the nurses union. Even a cursory review brings up some serious questions.

I sure hope our local news can start digging in to find the money and the network these folks use, because radical activism seems to be growing in Portland as was witnessed by 115 straight nights of violent rioting and looting in Portland during Covid.

You know it’s bad when the governor of the bluest state in the country tells it’s political leadership that they need to be able to ‘walk and chew gum’ at the same time.

“The county must walk and chew gum at the same time…and fix the program before the next tax year to reduce the burden on Multnomah County residents”

The governor of Oregon has come down on hard (well, as hard as anyone in this state can do) on the Preschool for all Program that cannot seem to reach any of it’s goals and caused a huge tax that is driving people away from Portland – even while it has over $485 million (much of it unspent) from a massive new city income tax in its coffers. Despite spending literally millions, it has only produced 2,225 openings for children.

I seriously doubt anything will happen. Oregon and Portland are rife with graft. Local voters voted in this very poorly written tax law, even when audits show their money is being wasted.

There’s speculation that Salem’s leadership has become seriously spooked by something in the budget numbers. There’s clear evidence that the Oregon tax base is visibly shrinking due to mismanagement, some of the highest taxes in the country, and high and middle income residents fleeing Portland and Oregon in record numbers.

Meanwhile, NYC achieved pre-school for all success in just 2 years.

NYC achieved "Pre-School for All" in just two years
byu/jonwalkerpdx inPortland

Is your household income LESS than $49,560 ($56,640 for 2, $63,720 for 3, etc)? You could get a free air conditioner from Portland. There are apparently other programs if you have wood burning heat to get free furnaces and conversions – all paid for by local tax payers.

https://www.portland.gov/bps/cleanenergy/cooling-portland/apply-cooling-unit

In another sign of Portland’s declining situation, the metro area lost nearly 7,500 jobs in May 2025 and employment is down about 14,000 in the past year according to a new report from the Oregon Employment Department.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.8% in May 2025 – up from 4.1% in May 2024. The U.S. rate was 4.2% in both months.

• https://www.kgw.com/article/money/business/portland-metro-job-loss/283-1c5c2ad2-9b3a-461b-9acc-08eb00b1e45e
• https://qualityinfo.org/documents/d/guest/labor-force-and-unemployment-by-area

Conveniently delayed until after the passage of a massive $1.8 billion bond measure, the 2023-4 PPS audit report was released with 23 improvement areas identified. In what is a continued trend of leadership failures and overruns, it called out PPS’s significant project delays and major cost overruns.

Links:

• https://www.wweek.com/news/schools/2025/06/29/pps-audit-on-bond-projects-finds-delays-overspending/
• https://www.pps.net/Page/1795
• https://www.pps.net/Page/15138

Looking for a specific fruits, berries, or vegetables to pick yourself (as well as other farm produce such as milk or meat)? The Pick Your Own website maintains and updated lists of what items local farms all over your state are currently allowing for picking. It’s very extensive and seems to be updated all the time. Someone is doing a lot of work to help save you a lot of time digging around on your own.

https://pickyourown.org/OR.htm

Oregon fairs and festivals: https://www.oregonlive.com/events/2025/05/summer-events-guide-2025-more-than-55-fairs-festivals-rodeos-other-top-events.html

List of Portland city sponsored events – movies in the park, music, festivals, and other special events: https://www.portland.gov/parks/arts-culture/summer-free-all/cultural-events

Other event lists (concerts and plays): https://www.portland-theater.com/dates

• Theater
  • Portland Theater – Despite the name, this is probably the best list of all upcoming theater shows, music concerts, and other events coming to Portland.
  • Magenta Theater – live theater in downtown Vancouver, WA
  • Love Street Playhouse – A great little local playhouse in Woodburn, WA
  • Coaster Theater – Play house in Cannon Beach, OR
• The Old Church downtown Portland that hosts lots of free lunchtime and afternoon concerts
• Here for Portland – Website with a list of local events created as an attempt to repair the damaged reputation of Portland after the riots and homeless crisis downtown.
• PDXLive – concert lists
• Secret Portland – This site has a bunch of sister sites for other major cities that covers unusual and interesting local events, shows, and artistic events.
• Axios – Has a good list of weekend fun, events, festivals, etc.
• NearHear – Website that locates bands playing near wherever you are.
• Meetup – Portland has lots of hiking and social groups
• Mazamas has lots of hiking and climbing events: https://mazamas.org/