Exhausted from an obsessive battle on the squash courts which had gone on longer than was necessary, the two men are glaring at each other over a beer in the executive dining room. The president finally cracks a smile. You're crazy, Jim. Aren't you too old for this by now?
The president is himself annoyed that Oregonians have just voted to increase the income tax on the rich. Yeah, says Jim, the definition of rich now, I was talking to one of my managers, is like sixty thousand bucks of income, if you back twenty some years, ajusedt for inflation. That's scary.
Anyway, the president continues, it's not going to make or break the state, but it sends a bad message to the rest of the country. One of the highest personal income tax rates in the world. How am I going to attracted talented managers to come live here when they are getting hosed by the government. Look at the property taxes, these are mostly people who don't care about having no sales tax here, they have already bought all of the furniture and cars and big screen televisions, they are already successful and they keep score by how much is left to keep in the bank. Who would move a going company here? What is going to happen to the tax base, a few years from now they are going to need a quarter of the school budget to pay the pensions for retired teachers. Who had been managing the state with an eye on the long term? That's why I started the farm.
What? Look, the farm runs on low costs, you don't need to make as much money to live. You still have to pay taxes on some barter and cash sales, but there is a lot less waste in taxes in a more localized economy.
Yeah, okay. So, you've got a bunch of idealist young modern day hippies out growing tomatoes in hot houses and selling wood for cash in the county. Are you happy?
No. Are you? I'd like to keep keep growing the ship here, see where it goes. No, I'm not happy. I've thought of moving Emerald headquarters to Singapore or one of the islands near Hong Kong. I feel like the the atmosphere here is becoming oppressive, everywhere you look the government is having an opinion about how you should run your life or do your business. Of course, with two hands held out in front. That's why I need your help. Let me show you around the farm, just for kicks, you could use a break from hanging over this place like a dark cloud, I notice the place runs pretty well without you. Yeah, I'd like to see your little hippie ranch. I guess we're neighbors, anyway. Yep, I can hook you up with a load of firewood. Good, you took my money and ran, I think you owe me a couple of truckloads at least. Deal.
