Blazers claim tax burden and 'stagnant business climate' make it difficult to do business in Portland

While the Blazers kept throwing their “threat of litigation” screwball throughout Thursday’s session, they also mixed in some curveballs — most notably, how much they are taxed and how difficult it is to do business in Portland. Hankins said the Blazers are “paying taxes higher than any other team” and that the city’s term sheet contained more than 20 material departures from the bill signed by the Oregon state legislature in March — all of them costing the Blazers more money to operate. These asks by the city, Hankins said, come after the Blazers have paid an estimated $1 billion over the last 30 years to build, maintain and upgrade the arena. “Portland’s current stagnant business climate, high income taxes, and divisive political environment makes this a tough city to invest in,’’ Hankins told the council. “It makes it harder to sell tickets, secure corporate sponsorships and recruit players.’’

>New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Blazers claim tax burden and 'stagnant business climate' make it difficult to do business in Portland