With a significant bump in commercial property utilization, and a growing GDP in Klamath County, have jobs and incomes improved?

“In 2022, the median household income of the 28.2k households in Klamath Falls, OR grew to $57,219 from the previous year’s value of $50,790.” — from the diligent little blog at oregoneconomicanalysis.com

During the pandemic, Klamath County “total income” increased by 20%, which is almost a “boom” level of income growth. However, distributions of this remain sharply skewed.

It’s important to note that the poverty rate remains the same, still higher than the State and National averages. Here’s more from the article’s author, having attended a KCEDA meeting, Josh Lehner:

Unfortunately, the good income growth has not or at least not yet translated into a noticeable reduction in poverty in the county. Poverty rose back in the 1980s and 1990s as the Timber Belt suffered economic decline and has largely held steady in the 15-20% range which is noticeably higher than the state or nation overall. This is, by far, the most pessimistic chart I have and a good reminder that even in good macroeconomic times, many of our neighbors still struggle.

Despite this awkward framing, the numbers quoted are real. The attitudes of those writing about Oregon’s economic data are often sympathetic to our region, even if it seems patronizing.

One good idea would be to open up, and develop, job opportunities in existing affordable housing markets. Ideally, the state should incentivize housing along with concurrent business development in all of its officially designated economic development areas.

The major hurdle to this was zoning laws, but the State of Oregon has issued something of a mandate to municipalities to free up residential zoning to middle housing development.

Places like Klamath County, or even the City of Klamath Falls, have no such constraints, and are therefore outside of any state legal concerns.

This is a problem that people like State District 55 Representative E. Werner Reschke does not address. This is also something that 56 Representative Emily McIntire does not mention, never mind the State Senate 28 of the Linthicums.

More importantly, in order to slow the development of more problems in Oregon, the State Legislature should adopt a massive development transfer program.

Most of the economic damage from Measures 5 and 50 (from 1990 to 1997) was done to rural Oregon. This damage became a problem in metro areas in Oregon. These measures set back the clock for tax revenues for local governments and school districts in an attempt to “equalize” the state’s development.

Only unequal development has happened. And all of this back then, in the deep Portlandia awakening, was Oregon following California initiatives from the late 1980s.

Democrats in Salem have been far more sensitive to rural Oregon in recent years, especially since 2018. Most of the legislative agenda has been to direct populist economic and electoral agendas to Oregonians as a matter of ballot measures instead of legislative votes.

Oregon’s most “progressive” policymakers are merely “progressive” in that old way. In that old way that violates the conservative impulses.

There is a future, and we can make it better. The question is, how can we make it better for as many as possible, and do no harm?

Places like Klamath County have seen drastic GDP growth, but we have not seen that kind of growth in wages or new “family wage” jobs. Most infrastructure and visible improvements can be seen as mostly Federal and State dollars from the COVID period, finally trickling onto our streets.

Klamath Falls residents, and Klamath County voters generally, have indicated a distaste for municipal overreach over the last two years. Voters even defied Reschke’s admonishment to not fund the Klamath County Museum with a new bond.

Voters also defied Reschke’s, McIntire’s, and Linthicum’s endorsement for County Commissioner candidate, electing Andrew Nichols instead.

Klamath Falls, and the whole County, has definitely turned a page.

We are now back to thinking for ourselves, and the more we stay involved, the better things can be!