From Tim McCabe, Director, Business Oregon:
As we enter 2013 and the upcoming annual Legislative session, I look forward to building on our agency’s 2012 successes. We are strongly supportive of the Governor’s proposed budget and the 10-year framework approach to funding the state’s most important needs.
The Governor’s proposed budget includes increased investment in innovation, workforce training and infrastructure development. Our innovation efforts, through such vehicles as Oregon InC and its key strategic research centers, have already helped establish dozens of young Oregon companies and helped hundreds of existing Oregon companies innovate their products to grow.
The budget also allocates additional funding for the Business Expansion Program (BEP) and the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund (SRF), which will help keep globally-competitive companies growing here in Oregon.
Finally, the Governor has proposed a significant recapitalization of the Special Public Works Fund administered by the Infrastructure Finance Authority (IFA), which will help many rural Oregon communities meet their critical infrastructure needs.
This budget is very supportive of our programs to help businesses grow and help communities develop critical infrastructure. Now we look forward to working together with the Legislature as we begin the 2013 Legislative session.
