Commentary: City's response to fur seller suggests Portland's anti- business

Are Oregon and the city of Portland really business-friendly enough? What's happening outside of the downtown store of Schumacher Furs and Outerwear Co. suggests otherwise.

Protesters have decided to spend each Saturday in front of the Schumacher store. One of the solutions the city has suggested is to have Schumacher move its business outside of downtown Portland. The response to the protesting makes me wonder: Does the city of Portland really want business?

There are several items to consider here. Schumacher has been in business for more than 100 years, most of that time in the city of Portland. The company is a family-owned and family-run business, and no matter what your personal feelings about the fur industry are, Oregon is the third-largest producer of fur, meaning Schumacher is not the only store here of its kind.

So, we have a long-standing, legitimate, family-run business here in Portland, and local authorities have suggested it should darken its windows, close down early on Saturdays or move to a suburban location, for no other reason than to end the protesting due to personal or social politics.