This is CBS, I On the World. I'm John Batchel. The Business of America is small business,

and I welcome Gene Marks, a small business columnist of the Guardian newspaper, the UK edition,

the U.S. edition, as well as our hometown newspaper, the Philadelphia and Coire, and other

distinguished publications. We begin, however, on a road trip. Gene Marks, Philadelphia,

traveled to Portland, Oregon, and the revelation to Jean was the poor shape the cities in.

However, he was addressing a confab.

So we'll first ask, Gene, welcome back from Portland.

I've read and reported for years about the deterioration.

Did you see it right away when you got in from the airport?

Hi, John.

Not right away.

I mean, I walked around the city quite a bit, and my hotel was like 20 minutes away from

where I was, you know, going to this conference.

So I walked it, but also the day before.

And Portland is a beautiful city.

It's, you know, it's such a nice area of the world.

But, you know, I spoke to the National Electronic,

electric Contractors Association of Oregon there.

They have their own building.

And, you know, some of the, you know, a lot of the people there in attendance, you know,

they were lifelong portlanders.

And, you know, they all live outside of the city.

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