Troubling sight in the Oval Office

Letter date: 
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Letter publisher: 
Portland Tribune
Letter author: 
Shannon Olsen
Letter body: 

I was troubled last week seeing the CEO of Intel in the Oval Office glowing with President Trump, while talking about finishing the creation of a plant in Arizona.

Intel (and many other businesses) already pay little to no taxes in many states, including Oregon. What was not mentioned were the recent layoffs in Oregon. Intel has a history of promising jobs in exchange for massive tax breaks and other benefits, then later issuing layoff notices, keeping skeleton crews here to ensure their assistances. The remainder of employees are laid off, jobs are shipped overseas to the Philippines and other low cost countries, and then are replaced with contract employees, who receive no benefits and are subject to release at will. It seems to me this shell game gives the president and CEOs great press, while the taxpayers pick up the bill, and employees lose jobs, benefits and stability. The elimination of regulations for these companies also hurts the public on environmental and safety issues. It impacts employment since it is not just regulations being done away with, it is the people doing these jobs. I do not feel the American pride in this.