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Business Q&A -- Tom Kelly Oregon Business Association -- Better for business "We found a lot of folks looking for a new voice in Salem" Tom Kelly, 50, is president of Neil Kelly Company, a 54-year-old design-build residential remodeling contractor and cabinet manufacturer in Portland. He served as the chairman of Oregon's Construction Contractors' Board from 1990�1992. He is the current chairman of the Oregon Business Association, a statewide group supporting education, transportation, and environmental concerns. He attended the University of Oregon, majoring in business. He and his wife, Barbara, have two sons, Devin, 18 and Garret, 12. Q: Oregon Business Association has crossed party lines. How difficult was it to create such a big-tent organization and keep it going? Not nearly as difficult as we thought. Our initial survey to 1,000 businesses statewide indicated that many other business leaders felt as we did: tired of partisan gridlock in the Legislature, and concerned that no existing business association focused on the typical business issues, like taxes, but also understood that the so-called quality of life issues - like education, transportation, and the environment - are business issues. We found a lot of folks looking for a new voice in Salem. The bipartisan response to date has been excellent. For a variety of reasons, this is the right idea at the right time. Q: In its quest to make Oregon a better place for business, OBA has singled out environment, transportation and schools for action. In the organization's three years of existence, which of the three areas would you claim the most success? Last session was OBA's first legislative session during which we announced and lobbied an aggressive, balanced, bipartisan Legislative agenda focusing on the three issues you mention as well as on our fourth emphasis, which is business and economy. We experienced a strong measure of success in all four categories, including our support of $5.2 billion for K-through-12 education, the establishment of the Oregon Quality Education Model in statute, increased funding for higher education, passage of the mercury bill, and increased funding for transportation through registration increases. Our most significant and highest-profile bill of the session was the establishment of an economic security fund or "rainy day fund" which had majority support in both the House and Senate as well as from the governor but drew heavy fire from other interest groups and ultimately did not pass. It will continue to be a high priority for OBA in the 2003 session. Q: Transportation is a major issue in the Rogue Valley. What are the primary reasons roads and highways have failed to keep pace with the state's population growth? Does the OBA have any specific proposals? OBA believes Oregon has a serious transportation problem statewide, which translates to a serious business issue. The Rogue Valley challenge - much like that in Central Oregon - is a result of remarkable growth in the 90s. Centralization of population brings congestion and the state just hasn't been ready for it. A second contributing factor is the increased efficiency in cars. The gas tax is based on miles per gallon and where, 10 years ago, we got an average of 17 miles per gallon, we now get 25. Though we do not have a specific solution yet, OBA sees the gas tax as the foundation for transportation funding while at the same time aggressively supports the development of alternative funding mechanisms for our roads and highways. We'll be taking a long hard look at this issue in the coming months. Q: OBA has added Fred Meyer, Louisiana Pacific and the Portland Trailblazers to its membership. Those are high-profile entities. What do you offer to small companies? OBA's successful growth and influence hinges on the participation of businesses of all sizes statewide and, so far, we're on the right track with our recruiting. Of our present membership, nearly 85 percent are small- to medium-size companies, with the remaining 15 percent represented by major corporations, such as Nike, Wells Fargo Bank, Northwest Natural and Bear Creek Corp. Our legislative agenda is not a big business agenda; it is an Oregon business agenda, so our strong representation in Salem brings benefits to all our members, regardless of size. We are also now developing member services, such as worker's compensation and financial services, which will primarily be for the benefit of our medium and small companies. To suggest a subject for this column, please contact business reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.